ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) funded into the relationship between standards in animal welfare and farm profitability.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA's approach to determining the relationship between standards in welfare and farm profitability is to include cost-benefit analysis within research projects. This approach allows any cost to business resulting from a change in management to be assessed against the benefit to the business and the animals concerned.
	For example, a current research project aims to re-design the farrowing environment for pigs. The research team will explore how the welfare of the sow might be improved while maintaining good piglet survival. Farm practicality, including acceptable capital and running costs and ease of daily management, are key considerations in the project.
	By making economics an integral part of research, DEFRA aims to provide evidence on how welfare standards may be raised while maintaining farm profitability.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department and its agencies  (a) he,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) officials of its agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. DEFRA's policy is that official funds should not be used for departmental Christmas parties. Departmental expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with principles set out in Managing Public Money and the HM Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Council Housing: Property Transfers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much local authority housing debt has been removed following large-scale voluntary transfers since 1997.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies on procurement under tender because the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 2007.

Dan Norris: From information held centrally, mileage travelled by Ministers and officials in the core-Department by car, rail and air on Government business in each year since 2007 is:
	
		
			  Mileage 
			   (i) Cars  (ii) Rail  (iii) Air 
			 April 2006-March 2007 4,264,002 (1)3,038,781 (1)3,583,951 
			 April 2007-March 2008 1,686,006 2,403,478 2,947,395 
			 April 2008-March 2009 1,287,980 2,746,880 1,817,558 
			 April 2009-October 2009 (2)149,932 958,847 1,137,382 
			 (1) July 2006-March 2007 (2) April 2009-August 2009 
		
	
	Information on the split of mileage travelled by Ministers and officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively. The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing official cars and drivers to Ministers and senior officials. It does not record the mileage of individual journeys for any of the Ministers or senior officials to whom it provides its service. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dogs: Research

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the research project commissioned by his Department on the effects of electronic training aids on the welfare of dogs to be completed; how much the research has cost; when he expects to announce his decision on the regulation of the use of electric shock collars; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Crops

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to assess the environmental impact of genetically modified crops in England; which research projects have been commissioned or completed since the conclusion of the Government-funded farm scale evaluations, that are designed to repeat or build on the research on the environmental impacts of those trials; and what scientific conclusions were reached;
	(2)  if he will assess the implications for his Department's policies on genetically modified foods of the editorial in the Scientific American in July 2009 which asserts that it is impossible to verify that genetically modified crops perform as advertised because agritech companies have given themselves veto power over the work of independent researchers.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research projects funded by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in the last 10 years on which he relies on to fulfil his responsibility to ensure that genetically modified food is safe to eat have been designed specifically to show whether there are risks of adverse health effects for people from the consumption of genetically modified food.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many genetically modified food trials the Government have licensed  (a) in each region and  (b) for each species in each of the last five years; how much his Department has spent on genetically modified food trials in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Inland Waterways: Ports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department has issued guidance on the development of marinas on canals;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with British Waterways on the development of marinas on canals.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Marketing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on advertising in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Medway-Canvey Island Crossing Scheme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the proposed Medway-Canvey Island Crossing scheme in relation to a  (a) tidal surge barrier,  (b) tidal power plant,  (c) lagoon off Canvey Island and  (d) other matters; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency recently consulted on its Thames estuary 2100 tidal flood risk management plan. As part of that consultation a number of comments from stakeholders were received on the possibility of an outer estuary tidal barrage which could incorporate a lower estuary crossing.
	One representation was made by a private consortium named Metrotidal. This made specific reference to its own proposals for a crossing, tidal barrage, tidal power plant and flood storage areas. The crossing location it proposed was between Canvey Island in Essex and the Hoo Peninsula in the Medway area. The transcript of its response has been placed in the Library of the House.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 7 October 2009, on cats;
	(2)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 3 August 2009, transferred from the Treasury PO ref 1/74240/2009, on surface water charges.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Oil: Pollution

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the average cost of clearing up an oil spill in England in the last 12 month period for which the information is available;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of the damage, including damage to the environment, caused by oil spills in England in the last 12 month period for which the information is available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: No estimate has been made by DEFRA of the average cost of clearing up an oil spill in England, or the cost of the damage caused by oil spills. The Environment Agency adopts the "Polluter Pays Principle" which means that polluters employ contractors directly to clean up pollution. The Environment Agency is not involved with the invoicing and payment between polluter and contractor, and so keeps no record of this activity.

Oil: Pollution

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of oil spills at  (a) residential and  (b) commercial properties that are not officially recorded by his Department;
	(2)  how many oil spills at  (a) residential and  (b) commercial premises were recorded by his Department in each of the English regions in the last five years for which figures are available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The numbers of oil spills at both residential and commercial premises are set out in the following table. These figures are from the Environment Agency's National Incident Recording System and as such are split into Environment Agency regions.
	The Environment Agency cannot estimate the number of oil spills that are not reported. As soon as they are aware of an oil spill, it is officially reported.
	
		
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  Oil pollution incidents-residential   
			 EA Wales 32 40 43 36 34 36 
			 Anglian 73 76 68 80 78 59 
			 Midlands 49 49 56 64 51 35 
			 North East 19 26 25 19 22 13 
			 North West 9 21 15 16 16 11 
			 Southern 87 76 73 53 63 38 
			 South West 116 114 108 93 92 83 
			 Thames 39 53 37 49 32 41 
			
			  Oil pollution incidents-commercial   
			 EA Wales 97 120 84 69 73 59 
			 Anglian 240 222 177 155 134 90 
			 Midlands 335 220 274 207 255 141 
			 North East 178 161 105 112 113 103 
			 North West 113 108 94 72 56 53 
			 Southern 149 116 96 94 80 85 
			 South West 206 200 190 169 136 100 
			 Thames 164 145 134 97 117 78

Origin Marking: Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2009,  Official Report, column 568W, on origin marking: Israel, for what reasons the proposals on labelling of goods originating from Israeli settlements have not been published for public consultation; and when he expects the proposals to be published.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Rivers: Hydroelectric Power

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations the Environment Agency has consulted on the provision of hydro power on rivers.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency published Good Practice Guidance for small-scale hydropower schemes in August this year. The British Hydropower Association and fisheries organisations were consulted extensively on its development. The Environment Agency has also established a new forum for stakeholder consultation on hydropower. The first meeting of this group will take place on 18 November 2009. Organisations that have been invited include:
	Angling Trust
	APEM Ltd
	Association of Rivers Trusts
	Brecon Beacons National Park
	British Hydropower Association
	British Waterways
	Countryside Council for Wales
	Department of Energy and Climate Change
	DEFRA
	Department of Environment, Northern Ireland
	Derwent Hydropower
	Ecowave Systems Ltd
	Entec
	Fishtek Consulting
	Hull University
	Jacobs
	Lake District National Park
	Natural England
	Peak District National Park
	RSPB
	Salmon and Trout association
	Scottish Environment Protection Agency
	Small Hydropower Company
	South Somerset District Council
	South Somerset Hydropower Group
	South West Rivers Association
	Southampton University
	The Scottish Executive
	Western Energy
	WWF

Rodents

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2009,  Official Report, column 961W, on rats, when his officials last met the UK pest control industry's rodenticide resistant action group; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2009,  Official Report, column 961W, on rats, if he will make an assessment of the implications of the findings contained in the annual reports of the National Pest Technicians Association indicating rising trends in rat numbers for his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 156W, on rodents, whether his Department has reviewed the revised sewer protocols between Thames Water and Yorkshire Water and their respective local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not been possible to reply to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

RRV Discovery

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department of operating the research vessel RRV Discovery has been in each of the last five years; and who owns RRV Discovery.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the RRS Discovery which is owned and operated by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and not by DEFRA. Therefore, there are no operating costs to the Department.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to establish a marine conservation zone for the Dee estuary.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not been possible to reply to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Water Charges

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to his Department's press release of 14 July 2009, on surface water drainage charges, what system of surface water charging for voluntary groups is in operation in each water company area.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Email

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2009,  Official Report, column 781W, on Members: email, if the Commission will make it its policy to allow Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software to be installed on hon. Members' computers and ensure that hon. Members' computers are compatible with PGP software.

Nick Harvey: No. The service provider has told us that this product is not compatible with software used by Parliament.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Members: Correspondence

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects to answer question 293952, on Export Credits Guarantee Department support to MW Kellogg Limited, tabled on 14 October 2009.

Vera Baird: This is set out in the answer to question 293952 answered today.

Serious Fraud Office

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Serious Fraud Office has requested information from the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) on the support provided by the ECGD to MW Kellogg Limited in connection with the LNG Plant at Bonny Island in Nigeria.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office is investigating the circumstances of the award of an export credit guarantee to MW Kellogg Ltd. in respect of the Bonny Island LNG project and in connection with that investigation, has requested material relating to the application. The SFO has been in contact with the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD).

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Allowance

Francis Maude: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the new rules on the Communications Allowance to accompany the new pre-candidacy spending limit, whether hon. Members will be able to reclaim cancellation fees for post-1 January 2010 communications that were booked before the new rules came into force.

Barbara Keeley: Proposals for a new restriction on the use of Communications Expenditure will be considered by the Members Estimate Committee at its next meeting.
	Any necessary guidance will be published by the House to inform Member's decisions.

PRIME MINISTER

Armed Forces

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Prime Minister how many visits he has made to  (a) repatriation ceremonies for the remains of servicemen,  (b) the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak and  (c) the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court in the course of his official duties since June 2007.

Gordon Brown: Hospital visits to injured personnel are undertaken privately.
	Ministers follow the advice of the chiefs on repatriations. At all time the needs of the bereaved must come first.

Community Hero Reception

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  for what reasons he decided to host community hero receptions;
	(2)  which hon. Members have  (a) been invited to nominate community heroes and  (b) invited nominated community heroes to a reception at 10 Downing Street;
	(3)  on what date each community hero reception was hosted at 10 Downing Street; which  (a) hon. Members and  (b) members of the public from each parliamentary constituency attended each such reception; and on what basis invitations to such receptions were issued;
	(4)  what the cost to the public purse has been of each community hero reception hosted at 10 Downing Street.

Gordon Brown: Guidance to Ministers on the use of Government property is set out in section 6 of the Ministerial Code. No costs were attributed to the public purse.

Democratic Reform

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he plans to take to involve the public in his plans to pursue democratic reform announced on 10 June 2009.

Gordon Brown: The Government have held a series of five deliberative events on Identity, Values and a possible Bill of Rights and Responsibilities during October. Two further events, both of which will cover a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities and a written constitution, will take place on the 21 and 28 November. There will be a National Deliberative Event on these subjects in the new year.
	The Government have also committed to comprehensive reform of the House of Lords to create a second chamber that has a democratic mandate and will bring forward draft legislation for comments setting out plans for a reformed second chamber in the coming months. Following the consultation on "Strengthening Local Democracy", the Government have introduced the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, which contains provisions to secure greater involvement of people in the workings and decision-making processes of local public authorities. In respect of enhancing representation in our political system, the Government have committed to a referendum to be held early in the next Parliament.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how many miles  (a) he and his predecessor and  (b) officials in his Office travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Gordon Brown: This information is not held in the format requested. All Ministers' travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

David Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister if he will instruct the Iraq Committee of Inquiry to investigate the treatment of former Iraqi locally employed civilians by Government  (a) departments and  (b) agencies.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I gave to the House on 15 June 2009  Official Report, column 21, in which I announced the establishment of the Iraq Inquiry. It is for the Chair of the Iraq Inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, in consultation with the other Inquiry Committee members, to decide which specific areas to focus on within their overall remit.

Lord Mandelson

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates Lord Mandelson of Foy has visited Chequers since his most recent appointment as Secretary of State.

Gordon Brown: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects.
	A list of guests who have received official hospitality at Chequers is published on an annual basis. For information for the financial year 2008-09 I refer the right hon. Member to the written statement I made to the House on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 70-73WS.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 19W, on ministerial policy advisers, what  (a) envoys and  (b) special representatives he has personally appointed since becoming Prime Minister; which of them are still in post; and on what dates those who are no longer serving resigned.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 November 2008 and to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Peter Bottomley) on 23 October 2008.
	In addition, I have appointed Richard Taylor as a Special Envoy on tackling youth violence and knife crime. On 12 February 2009 I appointed my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne) as the Special Envoy for Sri Lanka.

Ministers: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how much has been paid to Ministers on leaving the Government since 1997 who have subsequently been re-appointed to a Ministerial post.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 27W.

TRANSPORT

Automatic Train Protection

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of the rail network was covered by the train protection and warning system in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Mole: The Train Protection and Warning System is fitted at around 40 per cent. of signals on the network and at a range of other locations where fitment is required by the Railway Safety Regulations 1999.
	The Rail Safety and Standards Board estimates that, as a consequence largely of the fitment of the Train Protection and Warning System, the risks from signals passed at danger on the mainline rail network has reduced by more than 88 per cent. since the March 2001 benchmark level.

Bicycles: Accidents

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the adequacy of legal protection for cyclists in the event of an accident.

Paul Clark: There have been no recent discussions with ministerial colleagues on the adequacy of the provision of legal protection for cyclists in the event of an accident.

Bus Services: Concessions

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his estimate is of the level of take-up of the Freedom Pass in Islington; and what estimate he has made of the cost of the pass to (i) Islington Borough Council, (ii) London-wide funding bodies and (iii) his Department in each of the last three years.

Sadiq Khan: London freedom passes are administered by London Councils. The Department for Transport does not hold figures for the number of freedom passes issued by individual London boroughs. However, as part of a planned reissue, London Councils reported to the Department that as of April 2009, an estimated 1.188 million concessionary passes were in circulation in London.
	(i) Islington borough council's budgeted spend on concessionary travel, as reported to the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) was £5.2 million for 2006-07, £5.5 million for 2007-08 and £5.8 million for 2008-09.
	(ii) The total reported concessionary travel spending of all London boroughs was £203 million in 2006-07; £222 million in 2007-08 and the budgeted spend for 2008-09 was £220 million. In addition, London Councils reported in the minutes of their Transport and Environment Committee meeting of 11 December that the additional costs of the national bus concession were forecast to be £5.1 million in 2008-09.
	Before April 2008, funding for the mandatory bus concession was provided exclusively through the formula grant system administered by CLG. Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant, that is, recipient local authorities may use it on any service they wish, providing statutory duties are met. This freedom means that CLG are not able to calculate how much grant has been provided for any particular service (such as concessionary travel).
	(iii) In 2008-09, the Department for Transport provided an extra £212 million to fund the extension of the concessionary travel scheme to cover England-wide travel, of which, £55.4 million was provided to London Councils. London Councils reported in the minutes of their Transport and Environment Committee meeting of 11 December that the additional costs of the national bus concession were forecast to be £5.1 million in 2008-09.

Bus Services: Concessions

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost to  (a) his Department and  (b) London local authorities of the Freedom Pass in each of the last three years.

Sadiq Khan: The freedom pass scheme is the name of the concessionary travel scheme that is operated in London. It incorporates the England-wide bus concession that was introduced in 2008.
	Before April 2008, funding for the mandatory bus concession was provided exclusively through the formula grant system administered by CLG. Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant, that is, recipient local authorities may use it on any service they wish, providing statutory duties are met. This freedom means that CLG are not able to calculate how much grant has been provided for any particular service (such as concessionary travel).
	In 2008-09, the Department for Transport provided an extra £212 million to fund the extension of the concessionary travel scheme to cover England-wide travel, of which, £55.4 million was provided to London Councils. London Councils reported in the minutes of their Transport and Environment Committee meeting of 11 December that the additional costs of the national bus concession were forecast to be £5.1 million in 2008-09.
	The total reported concessionary travel spending of all London boroughs was £203 million in 2006-07, £222 million in 2007-08 and the budgeted spend for 2008-09 was £220 million.

Bus Services: Rural Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent on local bus services in rural communities in each of the last 10 years.

Sadiq Khan: The Government provide funding through the rural bus subsidy grant, the rural bus challenge scheme and the kickstart funding scheme to help local authorities support rural bus services in England.
	Rural and urban bus services in England are also supported by the Department's bus service operators grant (BSOG-worth over £420 million a year) which is paid to operators of local bus services.
	The Government allocate integrated transport (IT) block to local transport authorities in England for capital investment in transport projects, as well as providing grants for major public transport capital projects. These funding sources could be used to support local bus services in rural areas, though as IT block funding is not ring-fenced, local authorities are free to spend their allocations in line with their priorities.
	Rural bus services are also supported by local authorities' revenue support grant (RSG) funding. It is for local authorities to decide what bus services to support in their area according to local needs and priorities.
	The following table shows the amounts paid over the last 10 years to rural local authorities in England through the rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG), rural bus challenge (RBC) and kickstart schemes in rural areas, and to all English authorities through the IT block allocation.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Rural bus subsidy grant  Rural bus challenge  Kickstart scheme (rural areas)  IT block allocation 
			 2000-01 31.7 9.5 - 250.0 
			 2001-02 40.4 12.1 - 542.7 
			 2002-03 46.8 18.2 - 564.6 
			 2003-04 48.0 18.4 - 612.5 
			 2004-05 50.8 18.1 - 658.0 
			 2005-06 53.0 12.0 1.7 552.5 
			 2006-07 54.3 6.3 0.8 547.0 
			 2007-08 55.6 4.5 0.2 571.0 
			 2008-09 57.0 2.5 0.5 576.8 
			 2009-10 58.5 n/a n/a 589.4 
			 Total 496.1 101.6 3.2 5,464.5

Carbon Emissions: EC Action

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed European legislation which would enforce a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of light commercial vehicles to 175g/km phased in from 2014 to 2016 with a long-term target of 135g/km by 2020.

Sadiq Khan: The European Commission's draft regulation to set binding van CO2 targets on manufacturers was published on 29 October, along with an Impact Assessment. We strongly welcome the principle of a regulation in this area, and are currently considering the details of the Commission's proposal. We will be consulting stakeholders shortly on its likely impacts.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many civil servants his Department employs; how much his Department spent on  (a) salaries,  (b) allowances,  (c) national insurance and  (d) pension contributions in relation to civil servants in 2008-09; how much he expects his Department to spend in each category in 2009-10; how many of his Department's civil servants earn more than (i) £66,000 and (ii) £175,000 per annum; how many receive a London weighting; and what the cost to his Department of such weighting was in 2008-09.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2008-09 identifies the number of civil servants (p. 228) in the Department in 2008-09, as well as, planned headcount for the next two financial years.
	Total paybill expenditure (p. 227) in 2008-09 is also available but we cannot provide expenditure broken into the requested categories of  (a) salaries,  (b) allowances,  (c) national insurance and (d) pension contributions. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Planned expenditure for 2009-10 is unavailable.
	For Department for Transport civil servants who earn more than (i) £66,000 and (ii) £175,000 per annum, I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2013W, and to the answer of 9 December 2008,  Official Report, column 33W.
	The information requested on London Weightings can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of procurement contracts  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies awarded to small businesses in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09 and (iv) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold the information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Where the information is available it has been set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1. Percentage of contracts awarded to small businesses of 50 or less employees 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Department for Transport Central(1) 15.29 14.77 8.00 5.00 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 27.27 33.52 30.60 30.90 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency 66.67 59.67 70.37 (2)- 
			 Driving Standards Agency 13.95 8.47 11.58 6.38 
			 (1) DFTC-figures only include contracts let by the central procurement team and excludes local or low value procurement activity. (2) The Government Car and Despatch Agency figure for 2009-10 has been excluded as there have been no contracts awarded during this period.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to page 222 of his Department's Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2008-09, under what budget headings the £247 million capital budget for central administration for 2009-10 will be spent.

Chris Mole: The Department's Capital DEL budget for Central Administration includes the items shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2009-10 plans  £ million 
			 Departmental unallocated provision 227 
			 Capital investment in departmental infrastructure 20 
			 Total 247 
		
	
	Departments are encouraged not to allocate their DELs fully against their programmes at the start of a financial year but to hold some provision back to deal with unforeseen pressures. These amounts are then allocated to manage pressures as the year progresses.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Chris Mole: As a matter of course, the Department for Transport publishes information from all of its datasets which meet the definition of 'official statistics' set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the "Code of Practice for Official Statistics" and the "National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics".

Driving Offences: Insurance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of 17 to 21-year-olds using motor vehicles on the road network without insurance; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: There is no estimate of total numbers of 17 to 21-year-olds using a vehicle without motor insurance. In 2006 (latest figures available), based on court findings of those found guilty for the offence, 53,361 offenders were under age 21.
	Recent estimates from a comparison of the vehicle registration data held on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) database with the database of insured vehicles maintained by the Motor Insurers' Bureau indicate uninsured driving in the region of 4 per cent. overall.

East Midlands Trains: Standards

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many East Midland Trains rail services have been delayed due to  (a) rail works and  (b) system failures in each of the last five years.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not have an analysis of train delays attributable to rail works or system failures.
	Network Rail holds comprehensive performance data, and may be the following address:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London N1 9AG

First Capital Connect

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Secretary of State has had discussions with First Capital Connect on disruptions to the Sunday service on the Great Northern Line on 7 November 2009;
	(2)  what recent discussions the Secretary of State has had with First Capital Connect on disruption to rail services through New Barnet and Oakleigh Park.

Chris Mole: Ministers have not had discussions with First Capital Connect concerning disruption to the Great Northern route on Sunday 8 November 2009 or disruption to the rail services through New Barnet and Oakleigh Park. First Capital Connect has discussed its plans for dealing with disruptions to services on both the Great Northern and Thameslink routes including services to New Barnet and Oakleigh Park with officials in the Department for Transport. First Capital Connect made these plans available to the travelling public via its website and other communication channels.
	The Department continues to monitor the situation and First Capital Connect's contractual commitment.

Invalid Vehicles

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what criteria a mobility scooter is required to meet to be considered roadworthy.

Sadiq Khan: Powered mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs (referred to as "invalid carriages" in legislation) have to comply with specific statutory requirements set down in the Use of Invalid Carriages on the Highway Regulations 1988 in order to be used on the public highway. These regulations divide powered mobility vehicles into two main categories. The Class 2 type can travel at speeds of up to 4mph and is primarily intended for use on the pavement. The unladen weight should not exceed 113.4 kilograms. The Class 3 type can travel at speeds of up to 8mph and can be used on both roads and pavements. Class 3 scooters must have the facility to be driven at no more than 4mph when used on the footpath. The unladen weight should not exceed 150 kilograms. Class 3 vehicles are further required to be registered with the DVLA for use on public roads and display a "nil duty" tax disc.
	The regulations also subject Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles to requirements concerning lighting, their means of stopping and to requirements to enable vehicle users to have a full view of traffic and the road ahead.

Invalid Vehicles: Accidents

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicular collisions involving mobility scooters have occurred on roads in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 999W.

Lorries: Carbon Emissions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what consideration he is giving to the promotion of carbon emission reductions for heavy duty vehicles; and what percentage of carbon emissions heavy duty vehicles account for.

Sadiq Khan: "Low Carbon Transport: A Greener Future" sets out our transport carbon reduction strategy. Pages 44 to 49 cover HGV and bus technology, while pages 62 to 84 cover our policies promoting smarter choices across all modes.
	The strategy is available online at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/carbonreduction/
	Buses and HGVs together accounted for 5.4 per cent. of total UK emissions in 2007 (source: National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory).

Motor Vehicles: Urban Areas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of levels of use of  (a) cars and  (b) buses in urban areas in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of levels of use of motorcycles in urban areas in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The following table shows the estimated average number of trips per person per year by the requested modes of travel for people living in urban areas of Great Britain.
	This table covers all trips made by urban residents (including children aged under 16), counting travel in or through non-urban areas where this occurs.
	
		
			  Estimated average number of trips per person per year, by mode, for residents of urban areas in Great Britain in 2008 
			  Number of trips 
			   London  b oroughs  Metropolitan built up areas  Other urban areas: population over 250,000  Urban areas: population 25,000 to 250,000  Urban areas: population 10,000 to 25,000  Urban areas: 3,000 to 10,000  All urban areas 
			 Car/van driver 216 369 407 440 455 AST 391 
			 Car/van passenger 131 214 232 248 248 246 221 
			 Car/van total 347 583 639 688 703 713 613 
			 
			 Motorcycle (1)- (1)- 5 4 (1)- (1)- 4 
			 Local stage bus 135 98 68 47 36 35 71 
			 Other modes 353 299 305 280 320 282 339 
			 
			 All modes 838 982 1,017 1,019 1,062 1,035 990 
			 
			 Unweighted sample size (trips) 38,036 50,057 58,383 94,485 27,428 27,290 295,678 
			 (1) Sample sizes are too small for reliable estimates.  Source: National Travel Survey

Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what consideration was given to including motorcycle policy in his Department's report, "Low carbon transport: a greener future".

Sadiq Khan: The measures set out in "Low Carbon Transport: A Greener Future", the Department's carbon reduction strategy, mean that transport will make a major contribution to meeting the Government's carbon reduction commitments. Motorcycles were not specifically identified in the report, because of their relatively small contribution to total greenhouse gas emissions. We are however currently working with stakeholders on a revising the Motorcycling Strategy, which will consider ways of facilitating motorcycling as a choice of travel within a safe and sustainable transport framework.

Olympic Games 2012: Aviation

Susan Kramer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether any changes are planned to the night flight regime at Heathrow Airport  (a) during and  (b) after the London 2012 Olympics.

Paul Clark: No decisions have been taken about night flights either during the 2012 Olympics or after October 2012, when the current regime is due to end. The number of movements after 2012 will be subject to public consultation before any decision is made.

Olympic Games 2012: Helicopters

Susan Kramer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether any changes are planned to the level of helicopter activity permitted over London  (a) during and  (b) after the London 2012 Olympics.

Paul Clark: The Government are working with the Civil Aviation Authority, NATS (the en-route air navigation services provider) and aviation industry stakeholders to look at all aspects of airspace management for the 2012 Games. This work is at an early stage and no firm decisions have yet been made.

Park and Ride Schemes

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what park and ride schemes have been established in each of the last five years; and which existing schemes have been extended in each of those years.

Sadiq Khan: The following schemes costing over £5 million, which are or include a Park and Ride element, have been or are being funded by the Department for Transport in England over the last five years.
	Durham Park and Ride (Durham county council)
	Scarborough Integrated Transport Scheme (North Yorkshire county council)
	Bridlington Integrated Transport Scheme (East Riding of Yorkshire county council)
	Salisbury Transport Package-Petersfinger Park and Ride (Wiltshire county council).
	Similar schemes are currently being considered for future funding.
	In addition, the Department provides capital funding to local transport authorities for small transport improvements-£589 million in 2009-10. Funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend allocations in line with their priorities, including on new or extended Park and Ride sites.
	Funding for Park and Ride sites in other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of the relevant devolved Administrations.

Railway Stations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what railway stations have been  (a) built and  (b) reopened in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Mole: The following stations were opened or reopened on the national network in the last 10 years:
	West Brompton (1999)
	Horwich Parkway (1999)
	Braintree Freeport (1999)
	Luton Airport Parkway (1999)
	Dunfermline Queen Margaret (2000)
	Brighouse (2000)
	Wavertree Technology Park (2000)
	Lea Green (2000)
	Warwick Parkway (2000)
	Howwood (2001)
	Beauly (2002)
	Newcraighall (2002)
	Brunstane (2002)
	Edinburgh Park (2003)
	Chandlers Ford (2003)
	Glasshoughton (2005)
	Gartcosh (2005)
	Rhoose Cardiff International Airport (2005)
	Llantwit Major (2005)
	Kelvindale (2005)
	Larkhall (2005)
	Merryton (2005)
	Chatelherault (2005)
	Liverpool South Parkway (2006)
	Coleshill Parkway (2007)
	St. Pancras International (2007)
	Ebbsfleet International (2007)
	Llanharan (2007)
	Ebbw Vale Parkway (2008)
	Newbridge (2008)
	Risca and Pontymister (2008)
	Rogerstone (2008)
	Alloa (2008)
	Heathrow Terminal 5 (2008)
	Mitcham Eastfields (2008)
	Llanhilleth (2008)
	Crosskeys (2008)
	Shepherds Bush (2008)
	Aylesbury Vale Parkway (2008)
	East Midlands Parkway (2009)
	Corby (2009)
	Laurencekirk (2009)
	Imperial Wharf (2009).
	These figures exclude London Underground and heritage railways.
	New stations are a devolved matter in Scotland and Wales.

Railways: Disabled

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what percentage of railway carriages were accessible to disabled people in each of the last five years.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not keep statistical information on the year-on-year increase in the accessibility of rail vehicles. The number of regulated rail vehicles currently stands at 35 per cent. of the national rail fleet, but it should be remembered that almost all older rail vehicles have received accessibility improvements when they have been refurbished. All rail vehicles must be compliant by no later than 1 January 2020.

Railways: Franchises

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what alterations he plans to the cap and collar arrangements employed as part of rail franchise agreements to ensure that innovation is not inhibited in times of revenue growth.

Chris Mole: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The Department for Transport is considering the design of the East Coast and the Essex Thameside (c2c) franchises in the run up to these competitions. Any significant changes to current arrangements would be set out in the consultation documents issued in due course as part of the normal franchising process.

Railways: Freight

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much and what proportion of freight was moved by rail in each of the last five years.

Chris Mole: Freight tonnages moved by rail over the past five years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Freight moved, Great Britain 
			  Financial year  Billion net tonne kilometres 
			 2004-05 20.35 
			 2005-06 21.70 
			 2006-07 21.88 
			 2007-08 21.18 
			 2008-09 20.63 
			  Source: Network Rail. 
		
	
	Rail market share figures for freight moved are available for calendar years up to 2007 and are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Rail market share, Great Britain 
			   Total market size (billion net tonne kilometres)  Percentage of total market moved by rail 
			 2003 251.8 7.4 
			 2004 252.7 8.0 
			 2005 256.5 8.4 
			 2006 251.8 8.8 
			 2007 255.4 8.3 
			  Source: Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, freight operating companies, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Railways: Public Holidays

John Grogan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many passenger trains ran on Boxing Day in each of the last four years; and how many are planned to run on Boxing Day 2009.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold information about which train services were operated on past Boxing Days.
	Network Rail is responsible for train running data for the rail industry. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for such information:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.
	The services planned to be operated on Boxing Day 2009 are publicly available on the National Rail Enquiries website. The address of this website is
	http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many miles of railway track were replaced in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Mole: This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.

Roads: Accidents

John Grogan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) fatal and  (b) serious non-fatal road traffic accidents were recorded in (i) Selby district and (ii) North Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The information requested is given in the table:
	
		
			  Reported personal injury road accidents by county and local authority, accident severity: 2004-08 
			  Accidents 
			   North Yorkshire( 1)  Selby 
			   Fatal  Serious  Fatal  Serious 
			 2004 73 609 16 68 
			 2005 81 554 14 44 
			 2006 60 632 10 76 
			 2007 71 595 6 73 
			 2008 49 491 6 59 
			 (1) Includes City of York

Roads: Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many child road  (a) deaths and  (b) serious injuries there were in each year for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: The data requested is published on the Department for Transport's website. It can be found at the following web address in Table C:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/excel/173025/221412/221549/227755/315281/personalinjury.xls

Roads: Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many accidents involving  (a) motorcycles and  (b) other vehicles there were in urban areas in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: The data requested can be found in Table 23a in Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2008 Annual Report. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. Table 23a can also be found at the following web address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/excel/173025/221412/221549/227755/503336/webtables21-40.xls

Roads: Safety

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to address motorcycle safety;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to increase awareness among car drivers of motorcycles on the roads.

Paul Clark: The Government's Motorcycling Strategy sets out a range of measures to improve the safety of all powered two-wheel users. It was published in February 2005 and a revised action plan was issued in June 2008. This includes THINK! publicity for powered two wheeler and other road users, improvements to rider training, a safer road environment and safer vehicles and equipment. We are currently working with stakeholders on revising the Motorcycle Strategy.
	The Department for Transport is also developing a new Motorcycle THINK! Road Safety campaign to be launched in March 2010. The campaign will build on the previous television campaign, "How Close", which ran between January 2006 and March 2009. The advert reminded drivers to look out for riders. The new campaign will be aimed at drivers and riders. Specific road safety messages and media channels have yet to be confirmed but it is likely television, radio, cinema and partnership marketing will be used.

Rolling Stock

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1611-2W, on rolling stock, what progress has been made in placing the new train orders referred to in the table in the answer; whether the timetable for each order remains as referred to in that table; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: An order for 120 vehicles for NXEA was placed on 1 April 2009. The procurements for vehicles for London Midland, Stagecoach South West Trains and Thameslink are currently in progress. These are subject to agreement with the train operators concerned and a satisfactory value for money assessment.
	In relation to the GoCo vehicles, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 12-13W.

Shipping: Training

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Nautilus International on seafarer training.

Paul Clark: I regularly meet representatives from all sides of the shipping industry to discuss matters of mutual interest, including training and employment matters.

Shipping: Training

Julian Brazier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he plans to make a public response on the joint proposals submitted to his Department by the Chamber of Shipping, Nautilus UK and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers stimulating seafarer training and employment; and whether his Department has costed these proposals.

Paul Clark: The Government are committed to maximising employment opportunities for UK seafarers.
	The proposals for improving the training and employment opportunities for UK seafarers submitted by the trade unions and industry are being discussed with colleagues across Whitehall. However, even with an increased contribution from industry, funding remains a key issue.
	In 2008-09, the Government made available through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme some £12.4 million which equated to around 43 per cent. of the training costs of UK officer cadets. The proposals call for an increase to SMarT funding to 100 per cent. of all training costs.

Southern Railway: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much in premium payments the Government will receive from Southern Railway Ltd. in respect of the new South Central franchise in each year of the franchise's operation.

Chris Mole: The new South Central franchise will provide a premium of £534 million Net Present Value over the core five years 10 month franchise length.
	The premium profile for the South Central franchise is:
	
		
			   £000 
			 March 10 (1)1,254 
			 March 11 35,518 
			 March 12 80,297 
			 March 13 122,123 
			 March 14 155,891 
			 March 15 201,211 
			 July 16 (1)80, 801 
			 (1) = part year Nominal £000. 
		
	
	There will be a reduction in premium in Net Present Value over the core five years 10 month franchise length for the Additional Showcase Stations option purchased of £1.6 million and for the GSM-R option purchased of £9.6 million.

Thameslink: Rolling Stock

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects orders for new trains to be placed under the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is currently planning to award the order around autumn 2010.

Travel: Concessions

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations he has received on the future of the Freedom Pass in London, and from whom; how much was spent on the scheme in London in each of the last three years; how much is projected to be spent in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 10 November 2009
	The right to free travel for older and disabled people is enshrined in Primary Legislation.
	The Freedom Pass scheme is operated by London Councils on behalf of all 33 London boroughs. The cost of the Freedom Pass is a matter for negotiation between London Councils and Transport for London.
	London boroughs have been obliged to offer London-wide travel to their eligible residents since the introduction of the GLA Act in 1999. Therefore the only increase in costs London faced as a result of the improved England-wide bus concession-which was introduced in 2008-was for the cost of non-London residents who are aged over 60 or eligible disabled now travelling free on the London bus network at off-peak times.
	It was expected that a sizeable grant would be needed to meet the cost of these non-London resident travellers. However, there have been far fewer of these trips than anticipated.
	I have met with London Councils to discuss the special grant funding that has been made available by Government to fund the additional costs of the improved statutory minimum bus concession from April 2008. I have also received letters from a number of London MPs, members of the House of Lords and Councillors of London Boroughs about the special grant funding. Many of these representations were based on misunderstandings over the purpose of the special grant funding.
	The purpose of the Special Grant has only ever been to fund the change in the concession referred to above. The majority of funding for concessionary travel continues to be provided through formula grant.
	London boroughs report their spending on concessionary travel to the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) as part of their annual local government spending returns. The London Boroughs reported concessionary travel spending of £203 million in 2006-07 and £222 million in 2007-08.
	The outturn figures for 2008-09 are not due to be published by CLG until later this month, however the Boroughs' reported concessionary travel budget for 2008-09 was £220 million. For 2009-10 the Boroughs' reported concessionary travel budget is £189 million. 2010-11 budget figures are not due to be published until next year.
	London Councils reported in the minutes of their Transport and Environment Committee meeting of 11 December 2008 that the additional costs of the national bus concession were forecast to be £5.1 million in 2008-09. This compares to special grant funding provided to London Councils of £55.4 million in 2008-09.
	The projection of special grant funding required in 2010-11 is based on the additional costs that authorities have actually incurred following the change to the statutory minimum bus concession.
	Although the new special grant distribution that is currently being consulted on would reduce London's grant, it would leave the London boroughs with significantly more funding than the actual burden that has been imposed by the change in the statutory minimum concession.

Underground Railways: Tyne and Wear

David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what mechanisms are in place to assess the record of bidders for the Tyne and Wear Metro service contract in respect of  (a) treatment of staff and  (b) health and safety.

Sadiq Khan: The assessment of bidders for operating the Tyne and Wear Metro service is a matter for Nexus (the Tyne and Wear passenger transport executive). It is a condition of the Department for Transport's funding that the procurement process is carried out rigorously and fairly.

West Coast Railway Line

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what funding his Department has provided to upgrade the West Coast Main Line in each year for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport defined the strategy and outputs required from the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line and authorised funding of £8.9 billion to date for the works to be provided by Network Rail, supported by Government Grant.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Tuition Fees

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress is being made on the Government's review of tuition fees and student support; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance was launched on 9 November. The review will be chaired by Lord Browne of Madingley, who will be joined by six other members chosen for the breadth and depth of their experience and expertise. Its primary task is to make recommendations to Government on the future balance of contributions to higher education funding by taxpayers, students, graduates and employers. It will seek a properly and fairly balanced approach, without placing an unreasonable or counter- productive burden on any single source of funding.

Looped Blind Cords

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions officials of his Department have had with the British Blind and Shutters Association on the safety of looped blind cords; what progress has been made in such discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Officials met in July with representatives from the British Blind and Shutter Association. The industry initiative 'Make it Safe-how to reduce the risks from looped blind cords and chains' was discussed. The Department and industry agreed a plan make their guidance available to the widest possible audience, including working with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Car Scrappage Scheme

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the effect on the level of car production of the extension of the car scrappage scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: It is not possible to make an accurate estimate of the impact on production of the extension of the scrappage scheme because of unknown commercial factors such as the levels of existing stocks and production time lags.

Regional Development Agencies

Phil Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance regional development agencies are providing to businesses during the economic downturn; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: The RDAs have helped more than 50,000 businesses to survive the recession, and are bringing forward regeneration projects worth more than £100 million in order to boost the economy. They have also provided transition loans to 300 companies, protecting more than 10,000 jobs.

Free Trade Agreement: Colombia

James McGovern: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on a mandate for the European Commission to negotiate a free trade agreement with Colombia.

Ian Lucas: Negotiations between the EU and the Community of Andean Nations were launched in 2007. The mandate was last revised in December 2008 when, as the Andean nations could not agree a common position, Colombia and Peru asked the European Commission to negotiate a multiparty trade agreement with interested Andean countries. Ecuador remains an observer.

Basic Skills

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many benefit claimants have skills accounts.

Kevin Brennan: Skills accounts are being trialled in the South East, East Midlands, West Midlands, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. Skills accounts are available to all adults in these regions. The purpose of the trials is to test, on a small scale, the effectiveness of skills accounts as a means of engaging and motivating adults to take up training. Within the trials, skills accounts are being tested with a range of different customer groups, including benefit claimants. An individual's benefit status is not collected when an account is opened, but is confirmed when an individual takes up a course at a college or training provider.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects a decision to be made on the outstanding bids for capital funding under the Building Colleges for the Future programme.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 16 July 2009
	On 28 August, following the conclusion of its prioritisation exercise, the LSC confirmed that 12 college projects would commence immediately with their new building projects. Approval for the two remaining projects for Manchester (Wythenshawe) College and Skelmersdale and Ormskirk College was given in September.
	13 of the 14 projects have now begun on site.
	For those colleges that will not be funded this round, the next steps have already started with the LSC consulting with the sector to agree a robust, fair and transparent process for future capital investment.

Business: Government Assistance

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from the brick manufacturing industry on the adequacy of financial and other business support available to that industry; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: I have received no representations from the brick manufacturing industry on these matters. My officials are however in regular contact with the Construction Products Association (the umbrella trade association for nearly all construction products), of which the brick industry is a member, and have met members of the brick industry.

Business: South West

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses received assistance from the South West Regional Development Agency in each local authority area in each of the last five years; and how many employees each such business had at that time.

Rosie Winterton: The South West Regional Development Agency has provided assistance to businesses as set out in the following table and is reported in its annual report and accounts. It does not record these figures by local authority area, nor does it record the number of employees of the businesses concerned.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005/06 (1)8,766 
			 2006/07 15,898 
			 2007/08 16,163 
			 2008/09 17,928 
			 (1) Business Link figures not included.  Note: The definition used in the figures above is two days advisory consultancy or grant or equivalent of at least £1,000. 
		
	
	The agency also engages with businesses in a variety of other ways including area action force work and the regional enterprise gateway. Business Link provides the primary channel for business support within the region, with 103,000 businesses accessing support during 2008/09.

Carers: Training

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much expenditure has been assigned to cover the costs of the £500 training entitlement for carers and adults on the working tax credit, as referred to in the New Opportunities White Paper, Cm 7533.

Kevin Brennan: The total budget for this entitlement is £9.2 million which is split equally across the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Disabled People

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisations representing disabled people Ministers in his Department have met in 2009; and with which of those organisations the delays in the payment of student loans and grants was discussed.

Patrick McFadden: BIS (and prior to that DIUS) Ministers met a number of organisations that brought concerns about people with disabilities to their attention. Of organisations representing disabled people specifically, both Lord Young and Siôn Simon held meetings with the RNIB. Lord Young also met Skill (National Bureau for Students with disabilities), Natspec (Association of national Specialist Colleges) and the Alliance for Inclusive Education. Siôn Simon also met the RNID and Scope. In none of these meetings was the question of student loans or grants discussed.

Exports: White Phosphorus

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, column 339W, on exports: white phosphorus, in respect of which countries of destination a licence was granted for export of white phosphorus in the  (a) ML3a and  (b) ML4a category.

Ian Lucas: As previously stated the Export Control Organisation in BIS had identified 67 licences for munitions designed to create illumination or act as an incendiary. These munitions may have contained white phosphorous but because the export licence application does not require the exporter to provide the chemical composition of munitions to be exported, it is not possible to say how many-if any-of those 67 actually related to the export of military devices containing white phosphorous. However the 67 licences referred to were issued for exports to the following countries:
	Abu Dhabi (part of United Arab Emirates)
	Afghanistan
	Australia
	Bermuda
	Brazil
	Brunei
	Canada
	Cyprus
	Denmark
	Estonia
	Germany
	Greenland
	Honduras
	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
	India
	Iraq
	Irish Republic
	Israel
	Italy
	Jordan
	South Korea
	Kuwait
	Latvia
	Lithuania
	New Zealand
	Norway
	Pakistan
	Saudi Arabia
	Sierra Leone
	Singapore
	Sri Lanka
	Thailand.

Fireworks

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he  (a) has taken since 2000 and  (b) plans to take during the next six months to inform the public of (i) the dangers of fireworks and (ii) the effects of fireworks on animals; what discussions he has had with the fireworks industry about this issue; what recent representations he has received on fireworks safety; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the number of children injured by fireworks; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: BIS has responsibility for firework safety and legislation and the promotion of safe and responsible use of fireworks. The Department has been running an annual fireworks safety campaign for many years, and this year we are working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) to promote our safety messages.
	This year's fireworks safety campaign period has been running since the start of the Hindu Diwali festival last month and leads up to this week's Bonfire night festivities. We are aiming our safety messages at families and young children to promote the fireworks code and reduce the risk of injuries to children.
	DCSF will be promoting child safety during the firework season and we have been working with them to communicate our general firework safety messages. We have also been running TV and radio advertising, and promoting our fireworks website:
	www.direct.gov.uk/fireworks
	The website contains free resources for parents, schools, retailers and enforcers to download to help with the promotion of the safe use of fireworks.
	Our safety messages include a leaflet published in conjunction with DEFRA and the Blue Cross called "Fireworks and Safety" which details how to keep pets safe and our site also links to the Blue Cross website.

Fireworks

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group were (i) injured and (ii) killed by fireworks in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: Figures for injuries recorded by age for the last available five years are shown in the following table. Figures are not available broken down by sex and age. There were no fatalities in this period.
	
		
			  Age group  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001 
			 Over 20 422 516 482 380 508 
			 18 to 20 69 79 66 54 67 
			 13 to 17 213 197 220 230 337 
			 Under 13 281 368 368 353 450 
			 Not known 6 0 0 0 0 
			 Total injuries 990 1,160 1,136 1,017 1,362

Fireworks

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies are authorised to  (a) manufacture and  (b) sell fireworks; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Health and Safety Executive have authorised 42 companies to manufacture fireworks. Manufacture in this case includes the preparation, assembly, disassembly and fusing of firework displays away from the place of intended use.
	Information on the number of companies authorised to sell fireworks is not held centrally.

Further Education

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many 19 to 24 year-olds are studying  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time on first Level 2, first Level 3, subsequent Level 2 and subsequent Level 3 qualifications.

Kevin Brennan: Table 1 shows LSC-funded further education participation by mode of attendance and level, for learners aged between 19 and 24 in 2008/09 (provisional).
	In 2007/08, of the 740,100 adult learners (aged 19+) participating on full level 2 courses, 542,800 were first full level 2. Of the 328,100 adult learners (aged 19+) participating on full level 3 courses, 248,000 were first full level 3. Provisional full- year learner numbers for 2008/09 were published in a statistical first release on 22 October 2009:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09
	Supplementary information, including participation on first full level 2 and first full level 3 qualifications in 2008/09 will be available shortly. Information on first full level 2 and first full level 3 specifically for 19 to 24-year-olds is not published.
	
		
			  Table 1: LSC-funded participation for learners aged between 19 and 24, by mode of attendance and level in 2008/09 (provisional) 
			   Full-time full-year  Full-time part-year  Part-time  Unknown  Total learners 
			 Total learners aged 19 to 24 90,500 32,500 620,000 900 743,900 
			  of which:  
			 Full level 2 20,000 1,900 225,900 - 247,700 
			 Full level 3 43,200 800 129,600 - 173,600 
			  Notes:  1. Source data includes ASL, LR and ER ILR datasets.  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred, and may not sum to total due to rounding. "-" indicates a figure of less than 50.  3. Age is based on academic age, at 31 August of the academic year.  4. Part-time includes part-time distance learning, open learning, E-learning and evening learning.  5. FE students classified for statistical purposes as full-time are defined as those enrolled on programmes of at least 450 guided learning hours per year, or for at least 150 guided learning hours per tri-annual period or more than 16 guided learning hours per week for shorter courses. Full-time students who enrol on a programme of at least 450 guided learning hours per year are classified as full-time full-year. This includes those students who withdraw from the programme during the year and actually attend for less than 450 guided learning hours. Also counted as full-time full-year are students who enrol on programmes of less than 450 guided learning hours but stay longer than expected and actually attend for more than 450 guided learning hours. Full-time students who are not classified as full-time full-year are classified as other full-time. All other students are classified as part-time.

Further Education

Edward Timpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people who had been in local authority foster care in each  (a) parliamentary constituency and  (b) local authority (i) enrolled in and (ii) completed a further education course in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: Information is not captured on the number of young people in foster care that enrol or complete a further education course.
	Information on the number of young people participating and achieving in further education is given in a statistical first release, the latest version of which was published on 22 October:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09

Further Education: Government Assistance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many career development loans are expected to be made available in the  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11 academic year.

David Lammy: We currently have a portfolio of £65 million this financial year 2009-10 which when based on the current average loan value of £6,441 provides for 10,092 loans. We are pleased with the engagement from two banks-Barclays and the Co-operative. This gives us a good platform to build on and to ensure that supply meets the demand we expect over the coming years for PCDLs.

Grocery Trade: Competition

Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Secretary of State will respond to the Competition Commission following its referral to him on 4 August 2009 in respect of its Grocery Market Inquiry.

Kevin Brennan: The Competition Commission's (CC) recommendation of 4 August on the establishment of a Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) Ombudsman raises a number of complex and important issues for the grocery market and also to consumers and the wider economy. We will be responding shortly.

Grocery Trade: Competition

Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Fair Trading in ensuring fair trading throughout the grocery supply chain.

Kevin Brennan: It is not the role of Ministers to monitor its effectiveness. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is an independent competition authority.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of the 10,000 additional student places available in 2010-11 will be for first-year students.

David Lammy: HEFCE is still in the process of allocating funded additional student numbers (ASN) to institutions for 2010-11. Until that process is completed it is not known what the balance will be between places for new entrants and places to meet the needs arising from previous years' expansion.

Inward Investment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many inward investment projects have been established in each region in each of the last 20 years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of jobs created through inward investment in each region in each of the last 20 years.

Ian Lucas: I have arranged for separate listings of UKTI's (and its predecessors') recorded inward investment successes by UK regions for each of the last 20 years to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Figures for London are available only from when an RDA for London was established in 1994-95.
	These figures are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. They are based on the companies' best estimates of the number of new and safeguarded jobs associated with each investment.
	There is no requirement on companies to notify inward investment decisions to UKTI, so the figures include only those projects where UKTI or its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice.

Manufacturing Industries: Minerals

John Thurso: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) contribution to the economy of the UK lime manufacturing industry and  (b) the economic viability of that industry; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: My Department has not prepared an assessment of the lime manufacturing industry, and does not therefore have a view on the economic viability of that industry. The Department does not have the resource to take a view on every industry, but does take a reactive approach when circumstances warrant such action.

Manufacturing Insight: Finance

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding Manufacturing Insight has obtained from the private sector.

Ian Lucas: EEF, the Manufacturers Association has allocated £35,000 per annum for two years towards start-up costs, as part of a package of core funding, which is to come from the wider business community.

Manufacturing Technology Centre: Ansty

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the role of the Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty is; what estimate he has made of the number of jobs to be created at the Centre; what funding his Department has allocated to the Centre; what projects the Centre is undertaking; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: The Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty Park near Coventry will be a world-class manufacturing research, development and demonstration organisation which will support industrial companies, and their supply chains, in bringing about major improvements in their manufacturing competitiveness. The centre represents a £130 million investment over 10 years, and should employ between 100 and 150 highly skilled staff. The Government have allocated over £40 million to the centre through grant funding from Advantage West Midlands and the East Midlands Development Agency. Initially, 20 projects have been identified to use the new centre.
	The centre represents one of the largest investments in a manufacturing research facility for many years and will help UK businesses and universities to test out new and innovative products and processes on an industrial scale-cementing our position as a world-class manufacturing nation.

Mass Media: Insolvency

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) regional and  (b) local newspapers have become insolvent in each year since 1997.

Ian Lucas: The industry classifications the Insolvency Service uses do not readily identify newspapers. Table 1 shows insolvencies for manufacturing pulp, paper and paper products, publishing and printing, within which newspaper production is counted.
	
		
			  Table 1. 
			   Compulsory Liquidation  Creditors Voluntary Liquidation  Receiverships  Administrations  Creditors Voluntary Arrangement  Self-Employed Bankruptcy Orders 
			 1997 110 n/a n/a n/a n/a 104 
			 1998 118 n/a n/a n/a n/a 101 
			 1999 101 n/a n/a n/a n/a 112 
			 2000 106 n/a n/a n/a n/a 80 
			 2001 69 n/a n/a n/a n/a 75 
			 2002(1) 109 321 n/a n/a n/a 70 
			 2003 74 247 n/a n/a n/a 58 
			 2004 85 206 n/a n/a n/a 63 
			 2005 59 194 n/a n/a n/a 67 
			 2006(2) 60 158 n/a n/a n/a 74 
			 2007(3) 17 103 1 48 3 9 
			 2008 35 232 6 129 15 25 
			 n/a = Not Available (1) Creditors Voluntary Liquidations figures by industry only available from Q2 2002 (2) Data only available for Q1-Q3 2006 due to a change in industry classification (3) Data only available for Q3-Q4 2007 due to a change in industry classification

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many cars have been purchased under the scrappage scheme in  (a) Tamworth constituency,  (b) Staffordshire and  (c) the West Midlands.

Ian Lucas: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and vehicles delivered, there have been 379 completed scrappage transactions in Tamworth constituency, 1,973 in Staffordshire and 15,190 in the West Midlands.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the car scrappage scheme on the number of vehicles sold in the UK by each manufacturer; how much funding his Department has allocated to the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: BIS has made no such assessment. According to latest industry figures published on 5 November 2009, the vehicle scrappage scheme has contributed to the fourth month of growth for new car registrations, with the October figures showing this year's biggest monthly increase. The recent £100 million addition to the original £300 million Government funding will extend the positive impacts on the automotive sector and wider manufacturing into next year.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department was represented at the most recent Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil annual meeting (2 to 4 November 2009) was attended by a Government official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office posted to the South East Asia region. FCO officials work closely with counterparts in the UK to represent wider government interests and to keep policy makers informed of relevant developments abroad.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he last discussed the use of sustainable palm oil with  (a) ministerial colleagues,  (b) representatives of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil,  (c) representatives of the palm oil industry,  (d) representatives of environmental non-governmental organisations and  (e) officials of other Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: In the last month, Ministers from DEFRA and DECC have met with UK based businesses who are members of the RSPO and with international NGOs on forestry and palm oil. Engagement with these groups and other governments will continue as the UK Government works to support sustainable production and consumption of palm oil.

Real Help Website

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to promote the .

Ian Lucas: The Department has promoted the Real Help website
	www.realhelpnow.gov.uk
	through the homepage of the BIS website
	www.bis.gov.uk
	the relevant pages of the BIS corporate website:
	www.berr.gov.uk/aboutus/corporate/performance/realhelpnow/page51801.html
	and through the Business Link website
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	Business Link is also actively promoted by Ministers, including the Minister for Regional Economic Development and Co-ordination, at regional events.

Royal Mail

John Thurso: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on financial and legal advice in respect of the proposed sale of shareholdings in Royal Mail in the last two years.

Patrick McFadden: The Department spent £4.6 million on financial and legal advice to take forward the implementation of the Hooper Review's recommendations (which included work on securing a minority strategic partner for the Royal Mail).

Train to Gain Programme

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which training under the Train to Gain programme has been duplicated by employers.

Kevin Brennan: The June 2009 Train to Gain Wave 4 employer survey estimates duplication and substitution to be 12 to 14 per cent. of training provided through Train to Gain a few months after the employer had been in contact with the service but only 5 per cent. a year later. This means that over 90 per cent. of employers who commit to Train to Gain training see an increase in the quantity or quality of training activity as a result.

Train to Gain Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on shifting funding for Train to Gain spending from an academic year to a financial year.

David Lammy: Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills hold regular meetings with officials from the Learning and Skills Council and a wide range of issues are discussed. The Skills Investment Strategy, due to be issued shortly, will set out as in previous years the planned investment in adult further education and skills for 2010-11 financial year and learner volumes on an academic year, including for the Train to Gain programme.

Train to Gain Programme: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding support for the  (a) Train to Gain and  (b) Skills for Life programme (i) was provided in 2008-09 and (ii) is to be provided in 2009-10 to each receiving college in the Leeds area.

Kevin Brennan: The national spend on Train to Gain for 2008-09 and Skills for Life for 2007-08, I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1049W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins).
	We do not hold information on LSC spend by region centrally. I have asked the chief executive of the LSC to write to you giving details of the funding provided to each college in Leeds with a copy being placed in the House.

UK Trade and Investment

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what quantified targets UK Trade and Investment used in relation to its objective of attracting  (a) high value,  (b) good quality and  (c) priority projects in each of the last four years.

Ian Lucas: Foreign Direct Investment targets according to  (a) high value,  (b) good quality and  (c) priority project classifications have only been used for the last two years. Previously, UKTI has benchmarked against knowledge driven targets.
	
		
			   Target 
			 2005/06 374 successes, of which 75 per cent. are knowledge driven 
			 2006/07 440 successes, of which 75 per cent. are knowledge driven 
			 2007/08 UKTI involved in 525 projects, of which 125 are high value, 285 good quality and 115 regional development agency (RDA) priority 
			 2008/09 UKTI involved in 525 projects, of which 125 are high value, 285 good quality and 115 RDA priority

UK Trade and Investment

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies which have received support from UK Trade and Investment in each of the last four years can be classified as involved in  (a) low carbon technologies and  (b) advanced engineering.

Ian Lucas: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The UK Low Carbon International Marketing Strategy, being developed by UK Trade and Investment in partnership with business, aims to help companies with low carbon solutions across the whole economy to make the most of overseas opportunities. Reporting of such support is being set up as part of the roll-out of the strategy across UKTI this year.
	 (b) UKTI's Advanced Engineering Sector team came into being in April 2007 as a result of bringing together UKTI support, on trade as opposed to investment services, for the aerospace, automotive and engineering sectors. In the two years since then, UKTI helped 920 companies in 2007/08 and 1,133 companies in 2008/09.

Unemployment: Young People

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of people aged 16 to 24 years old were not in education, employment or training in each local authority area in the South East in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: Table 1 shows the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training in local education areas (LEA) in the south-east in 2006 to 2008. These estimates are from the Annual Population Survey.
	Due to small sample sizes, estimates cannot be provided small areas on a quarterly basis or for areas smaller than LEAs. Please note that these estimates are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their Confidence Intervals (CIs), which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a CI of+/-4.6 percentage points (pp) means that the sampling variability ranges from 4.6pp above the estimate and 4.6pp below the estimate. Confidence Intervals for table 1 have been provided as follows.
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
	
		
			  Table 1: Numbers and percentages of people aged 16 to 24 not in employment, education or training 
			   Number  Proportion of all 16 to 24-year-olds  Confidence intervals (CI) in percentage points (+/-) 
			  LEA  2006  2007  2008  2006  2007  2008  2006  2007  2008 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,000 1,000 2,000 10.9 10.8 13.1 4.7 5.2 6.2 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,000 5,000 4,000 11.2 13.3 11.6 4.8 4.7 4.4 
			 Buckinghamshire 5,000 4,000 5,000 10.6 9.9 10.5 5.2 5.8 5.4 
			 East Sussex 4,000 7,000 8,000 8.8 15.2 16.8 5.2 6.0 6.2 
			 Hampshire 14,000 19,000 16,000 10.5 14.1 11.3 3.1 3.6 3.3 
			 Isle of Wight 2,000 2,000 2,000 16.9 12.7 17.5 6.1 5.4 6.6 
			 Kent 23,000 24,000 25,000 15.9 17.1 17.5 3.6 3.8 4.0 
			 Medway 5,000 4,000 5,000 15.8 12.0 17.7 5.4 4.8 6.1 
			 Milton Keynes 3,000 4,000 2,000 15.6 13.6 9.1 6.8 5.9 5.3 
			 West Berkshire 3,000 2,000 1,000 18.5 11.1 9.1 6.9 5.9 5.7 
			 Oxfordshire 7,000 11,000 6,000 9.1 13.6 7.6 4.0 4.9 3.5 
			 Portsmouth 4,000 3,000 3,000 15.4 9.4 8.2 5.3 4.1 3.7 
			 Reading 2,000 2,000 2,000 15.1 11.0 11.4 5.9 4.6 5.4 
			 Slough 3,000 2,000 2,000 18.2 14.9 14.4 5.3 5.1 5.1 
			 Southampton 6,000 6,000 4,000 13.9 18.1 10.0 4.4 6.0 4.4 
			 Surrey 9,000 12,000 8,000 8.6 11.0 7.6 3.2 3.8 3.1 
			 West Sussex 9,000 8,000 8,000 13.2 11.1 11.2 4.4 3.9 4.2 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,000 2,000 1,000 12.2 14.5 10.1 5.7 6.8 5.6 
			 Wokingham 2,000 (1)- 2,000 8.9 (1)- 11.4 4.3 (1)- 6.31 
			 (1) Numbers are unavailable.  Note: Age used is the respondents' academic age, which is their age at the preceding 31 August.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the timetable is for the national roll-out of skills accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Skills accounts are being trialled, as planned, in the south east, east midlands, west midlands, south west and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. The purpose of the trials is to test the effectiveness of skills accounts as a means of engaging and motivating adults to take up training. These national trials will be extended to cover all of England by January 2010.
	Learning from evaluation which is already underway, we will implement a national system of skills accounts from August 2010 alongside the launch of the adult advancement and careers service.

Vocational Training: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding support under the  (a) Train to Gain and  (b) Skills for Life programme (i) was provided in 2008-09 and (ii) is to be provided in 2009-10 to each receiving college in the West Midlands.

Kevin Brennan: The national spend on Train to Gain for 2008-09 and Skills for Life for 2007-08, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1049W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins).
	We do not hold information on LSC spend by region centrally. I have asked the chief executive of the LSC to write to you giving details of the funding provided to each college in the west midlands with a copy being placed in the House.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to answer question 262066, on Dunstable College, tabled on 5 March 2009.

Kevin Brennan: Due to an administrative error, question 262066 was not answered by the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills despite a draft reply being approved by Ministers. The question has now been answered. I apologise for this error.
	However, the Learning and Skills Council's then chief executive, Mark Haysom, did write in response to question 262066 on 23 March 2009. A copy of the letter was placed in the House Library on the 31 March 2009.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Aberdeen

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last visited Aberdeen on official business.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is scheduled to visit Aberdeen later this month.

Annual Report on the State of Security in the Civil Nuclear Industry

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the five incidents were that were made under section 10 of the Nuclear Industry Security Regulations 2003 and which warranted further investigation, as referred to in paragraph 12, pages 3 to 4, of the Annual Report on the State of Security in the Civil Nuclear Industry April 2008-March 2009.

David Kidney: This information is not releasable for national security reasons.
	The criteria for determining whether information is releasable is described in the "Finding a Balance" document published on the Health and Safety Executive website. The objective of this document is to prevent the disclosure of sensitive nuclear information that could assist a person or group planning theft, blackmail, sabotage and other malevolent or illegal acts. It identifies categories of information which should not be disclosed, provides reasons for protecting this information and indicates the appropriate protective marking to be afforded to such information.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has taken steps to help park home residents reduce their emissions and heating bills.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 9 November 2009
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Carbon Incentive Scheme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to implement a personal carbon incentive scheme; when the scheme will be introduced; and how it will operate.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Climate Change: Conferences

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the contribution from the Minister of State of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 1090-91, on climate change, for what reasons he is seeking an agreement on a reduction of the use of hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) at the Copenhagen climate change summit rather than a ban on HFCs; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before prorogation.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Government's position on proposals to be made at the Copenhagen climate change summit on protection of biological diversity of the rainforests, with particular reference to measures to prevent the conversion of natural forests to forest palm oil plantations.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for DECC and DEFRA meet regularly to discuss strategy for Copenhagen UNFCCC summit, including on forestry. Forest mitigation and biodiversity should go hand in hand. Our objective is a climate agreement in Copenhagen whose provisions support a big reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from forest degradation and deforestation, whilst protecting and conserving forest biodiversity, promoting the sustainable production and use of forest resources. As part of these talks, safeguards against the conversion of natural forests to plantations are being discussed and we are seeking the strongest possible outcome on this.

Coal

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the future for clean coal in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, published on 15 July 2009, identified coal-fired power stations fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage as an important low carbon electricity source for the future.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change announced on 23 April 2009 plans to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of carbon capture and storage on coal fired power stations in the UK. The Government set out their proposals in the consultation "A framework for the Development of Clean Coal", which closed on 9 September. The response to the consultation was announced to the House and published on 9 November. It is available on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/clean_coal/clean_coal.aspx

Coal: Imports

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the import of coal to the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: This information is not available.

Coal: North East

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of tonnes of coal reserves in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK.

David Kidney: The Coal Authority estimates that the UK has 3,405 million tonnes (Mt) of coal resources.
	Of this 260 Mt is economically recoverable coal in the 'reserves category' (i.e. proved and probably mineable coal) at current deep mines and sites subject to conditional deep mine licences.
	A further 70 Mt are at existing surface mines, those with planning approval granted and those currently in the planning process.
	Estimates suggest there to be 260 Mt of previously proven reserves remaining in closed deep mines still in licence. A further 2,030 Mt of potential deep mine prospects and 785 Mt at potential surface mine prospects, including those in pre-planning and resources within former conditional licences.
	The Coal Authority has confirmed that the following reserves are available in the north-east:
	 Coal remaining in licence :
	 Surface mines
	Potland Burn 2.03 Mt (Northumberland)
	Shotton 2.69 Mt (Northumberland)
	Steadsburn 0.80 Mt (Northumberland)
	Park Wall North 1.27 Mt (Durham)
	Total 6.79 Mt
	 Underground
	Ayle Colliery 0.07 Mt (Northumberland)-still open
	Ellington 1.92 Mt (Northumberland)-closed
	Total 2.01 Mt
	 Sites approved or in planning:
	 Surface mines
	Approved
	Prestwick Pit Remainder 0.03 Mt (Northumberland)
	Planning
	Bradley 0.56 Mt (Durham)
	Brenkley Lane 2.40 Mt (Newcastle)
	Butterwell 1.10 Mt (Northumberland)
	Halton Lea 0.14 Mt (Northumberland)
	Total 4.2 Mt
	 Note: There may be other reserves with surface mining potential which have not been appraised to the planning application stage at present.
	 Underground
	There are no underground reserves in this category.
	 Underground mine prospects identified by British Coal :
	Amble 50 Mt (Northumberland)
	East Durham 200 Mt (Durham)
	Neither of these prospects were developed to the planning application stage by British Coal.

Departmental Advertising

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on advertising for tenders for the administration of the two miners' compensation schemes.

David Kidney: No money was spent advertising as the tender was publicised through the standard EU procurement process.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Joan Ruddock: Details of flights taken in 2008-09 by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and other DECC Ministers is available on the Cabinet Office website at the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/226022/travel_2008_2009.pdf
	All travel by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Joan Ruddock: The percentage of invoices from suppliers paid within 10 days of receipt was:
	 (a) 85.1 per cent. in September; and
	 (b) 92.7 per cent. in October 2009.

Departmental Conferences

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 401W, on departmental conferences, what the cost to his Department was of the  (a) regional delivery of biomass heat and power conference on 29 October 2008,  (b) London meeting of international energy and oil Ministers on 18 and 19 December 2008,  (c) hydrogen workshop on 29 January 2009,  (d) stakeholder workshop on 30 January 2009,  (e) business forum held in Ashgabat on 4 February 2009,  (f) advanced power generation technology forum annual workshop on 11 and 12 February 2009 and  (g) launch of the consultation on Heat and Energy Saving Strategy event on 12 February 2009; which (i) Ministers and (ii) senior officials participated in each event; what the names of the attendees at each of those events were; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the (A) agenda and (B) minutes of each event.

Joan Ruddock: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Cost £17,938. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and Simon Virley (DECC) were present.
	 (b) I refer to written answer 267996 of 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 305W.
	 (c) Cost £442. No Ministers or senior officials were present.
	 (d) This event was not organised by DECC.
	 (e) Costs £4,654. No Ministers were present from the UK. John Neve (DECC), and Peter Butcher the British ambassador attended.
	 (f) Details of this event are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 (g) Cost £22,013. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for DECC and CLG, the Minister for Housing, my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and I were present. Senior officials attending were Hergen Haye and Simon Virley.
	Agendas and minutes, where they are held by my Department, will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department have been employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department since its inception; and how much was spent on the management of such requests.

Joan Ruddock: Since its inception in October 2008, the Department has used a shared service with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) (now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) to provide a range of information management-related services including the management and support of FOI case management. The total costs for the FOI element of the service only include staff employed for more than 50 per cent. of their time on FOI work and are broken down as follows:
	
		
			   Staff  Costs (£) 
			 2008-09 2.15 108,928

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff of his Department have been authorised to work from home in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: DECC operates a flexible working policy so that all staff are able to work from home for some of the working week if they wish, subject to business need and with the prior approval of their manager. The guidance for staff is available on the HR intranet.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: No special advisers are provided with an allocated Government car and driver. As with all civil servants, special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department in 2008-09.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departmental Political Activities

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 278W, on party conferences, how much the  (a) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and  (b) Chair of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group spent sending representatives to attend each of the party political conferences in 2009; and whether prior permission was sought from the Cabinet Office for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

David Kidney: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) spent approximately £2,000 in total sending representatives to attend the party political conferences in 2009. The NDA considered Cabinet Office guidance on attending party conferences and in line with that guidance sought permission of its sponsoring department, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, before attending the conferences.
	The total amount claimed by the Chair of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group for attending the party conferences was £658.20.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of postal services provided for his Department were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) between the establishment of his Department's correspondence unit and 30 June 2009 and (ii) after 1 July 2009.

Joan Ruddock: Since DECC's inception on 3 October 2008, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) manage the Department's estate, including mail services.
	For Whitehall Place approximately 75 per cent. of services were provided by Royal Mail and 25 per cent. by UK Mail. This percentage relates to both 3 October to 30 June 2008 and after July 2009. These figures are exclusive of the interdepartmental mail service.
	All standard mail for Atholl House is sent via Royal Mail and time critical (courier) items/parcels are sent via Parcelforce. The volumes for Royal Mail are not known. In terms of Parcelforce 144 items were sent from Atholl House between October 2008 and June 2009. 73 have been sent between July and October this year.

Departmental Postal Services

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of postal services provided for his Department were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) between the establishment of his Department's correspondence unit and 30 June 2009 and (ii) after 1 July 2009.

Joan Ruddock: Since DECC's inception on 3 October 2008, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) manage the Department's estate, including mail services.
	For Whitehall Place, approximately 75 per cent. of services were provided by Royal Mail and 25 per cent. by UK Mail. This percentage relates to both 3 October 2008 to 30 June 2008 and after July 2009. These figures are exclusive of the interdepartmental mail service.
	All standard mail for Atholl house is sent via Royal Mail and time critical (courier) items/parcels are sent via Parcelforce. The volumes for Royal Mail are not known. In terms of Parcelforce, 144 items were sent from Atholl house between October 2008 and June 2009. 73 have been sent between July and October this year.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with which providers his Department had a contract to provide postal services in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and  (d) since 1 July 2009.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department on procurement under tender because the tender process had been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Joan Ruddock: As a matter of course, DECC publishes all of its datasets which meet the definition of 'official statistics' set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the "Code of Practice for Official Statistics" and the "National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics".

Departmental Training

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to raise the level of technical expertise of officials of his Department.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since his Department's creation.

Joan Ruddock: The information requested could not be provided within the disproportionate cost limit.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas since its establishment.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Dungeness B Power Stations

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the safety implications of the incident at Dungeness B on 29 June 2009.

David Kidney: An investigation into the incident by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Nuclear Directorate is continuing. It is therefore not possible at this stage to evaluate all the implications for nuclear safety to arise from the incident. However, immediate actions for safety in the fuel route have been identified and addressed by British Energy, the operator of the Dungeness B facility. Issues requiring further attention have been identified by the Nuclear Directorate from its investigation so far, and these have been communicated to British Energy. These relate to British Energy's safety management systems. The outcome of Nuclear Directorate's investigation will be published on HSE's website.

Electricity

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of unserved electricity demand in the five years from 2016.

David Kidney: The most recent estimate was published on 9 November alongside the response to the consultation on a Framework for the Development of Clean Coal. Figure 32 in the technical annex of "Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration: analysis of policies on coal/CCS and financial incentive schemes" shows an average expected energy unserved of 0.3 GWh over the five years. The publication is available on the DECC website.

Electricity Generation

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of electricity generated  (a) in total and  (b) from offshore wind farms was lost in transmission to final users in the latest period for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: The latest figures on transmission losses are available in the report published by National Grid in June 2008 "Investigation into transmission losses in the UK electricity transmission system". The report is available from the link
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/4D65944BDE424FF488DFBC6A81EFA09B/26920/ElectricityTransmissionLossesReport1.pdf
	The proportion of electricity generated lost in transmission is estimated at 2 per cent. of the total energy transferred across the network, the out-turn of transmission losses is estimated at 6.9 TWh for 20082009.
	There are no specific figures available for the proportion of the electricity generated from offshore wind farms lost in transmission to final users. Such losses will vary depending on a range of factors such as location and size of wind farms as well as the distance of the wind farm to the onshore grid.

Electricity: Meters

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons conventional electricity meters are still being installed by energy companies.

David Kidney: Conventional domestic electricity meters are replaced when they reach the end of their approved certification life. The approved certification life of a meter is based on prescribed accuracy standards under the responsibility of the National Measurement Office. Periodically a sample of each meter type will be taken out of service and tested for accuracy. If a meter type remains within a defined accuracy tolerance of +2.5 to -3.5 per cent., the certification life of that meter type may be extended and the relevant meters can remain in service for another defined period of time.
	These procedures are in place to ensure consumers are billed accurately for the electricity they use, but also so that accurate meters can remain in service for as long as they are compliant with meter accuracy requirements.

Energy Supply

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the Government's policy is on whether the UK should have a continually increasing supply of oil and gas.

David Kidney: The central scenario in DECC's recent 'Low Carbon Transition Plan' projects that gas use has already peaked and will now decline. The same scenario for oil projects oil use increasing slightly until 2013 after which it will also decline gradually. There are necessarily significant uncertainties around this scenario and a range of sensitivities could be considered.

Energy: Government Assistance

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance with energy costs the Government provides to those diagnosed with cancer.

David Kidney: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The Government's fuel poverty policies are targeted at vulnerable households in receipt of specific benefits. Cancer patients in receipt of benefits-whether income or pension-related, with children under 16 or on disability living allowance, will qualify for additional heating and energy efficiency help under the Warm Front Scheme. In addition, any household can qualify for subsidised energy saving measures from energy supply companies under the Government's carbon emissions reduction target.

Energy: Prices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of social tariffs to (a) energy companies and  (b) consumers currently on standard tariffs.

David Kidney: Ofgem monitors the energy suppliers' social programmes on behalf of Government. Their latest report, published 18 August 2009, gave details of suppliers spend from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. This showed that the total spend across all suppliers on social programmes in 2008-09 was £157 million, compared with the £100 million agreed under the voluntary agreement.
	Ofgem also report that £130 million of this total spend was attributable to social tariffs and have made an estimate that this represented an average cost of £2.73 per customer account for that year. However, this is an estimate which is based on a customer with average consumption and assumes suppliers apportion these costs equally across all their customers.
	A copy of the Ofgem report can be found online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Suppliers/CSR/Documents1/Monitoring_suppliers_social_spend_2008_09_final.pdf

Energy: Taxation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1670, on windfall taxes on energy companies, whether he has obtained the BBC transcript to which reference is made.

David Kidney: No. The BBC has been unable to provide a transcript answering the description provided by the hon. Member.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in incentivising a reduction in the carbon emissions of businesses in  (a) the UK,  (b) the EU and  (c) other countries.

Joan Ruddock: We published our review of the 2008 results of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on 24 September 2009. This shows that like for like emissions in the UK were 4.5 per cent. (1 11MtC02e) below 2007 levels. Across the EU, emissions were 55MtC02e below 2007 levels. In addition, companies in the EU ETS used international project credits for compliance, helping fund 82MtC02e of abatement from other countries. The full results can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/change_energy/tackling_clima/emissions/eu_ets/publications/publications.aspx
	The level of climate change ambition in the EU ETS is driven by the emissions cap. Across the EU, the cap in 2008-12 is 6 per cent. below 2005 emission levels. With an EU target for 2020 of a 20 per cent. reduction in emissions on 1990 levels, the EU ETS cap is set at 21 per cent. below 2005 levels by 2020.

Fossil Fuel Levy: Scotland

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has plans for the drawdown and use of the Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy.

David Kidney: The Department has no plans for the drawdown and use of the Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy.

Fuel Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent assessment is of progress towards meeting the target of ending fuel poverty in England.

David Kidney: holding answer 20 October 2009
	The Government remain committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that households do not live in fuel poverty.
	Between 1996 and 2005 the number of fuel poor households in the UK fell from around 6.5 million to around 2.5 million. Rising fuel prices have reversed this trend.
	A review of our fuel poverty policies is examining whether existing measures could be made more effective, and whether new policies should be introduced.

Fuel Poverty

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in  (a) Peterborough constituency,  (b) Cambridgeshire,  (c) the East of England and  (d) England are living in fuel poverty.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 3,400 fuel poor households in the Peterborough constituency, and around 28,100 fuel poor households in the county of Cambridgeshire.
	Latest figures for fuel poverty rates in England and at Government office region level relate to 2007. These show that there were around 253,000 fuel poor households in the East of England, and 2.8 million fuel poor households in England.

Generic Design Assessment

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons his Department has decided not to reimburse the travel expenses of representatives of non-governmental organisations invited to attend the meeting on Updates on the Generic Design Assessment to be held in London on 17 November 2009.

David Kidney: Ministers and officials regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders including industry, environmental groups and the unions. Organisations who would expect to have contact with government and engage in consultations as a core part of their remit would normally not expect their expenses to be paid to attend meetings. In this instance we have offered a conference call facility to those who do not wish to travel. The distinction is made when members of the public who would not in their everyday lives expect to come to London to meet the Government are invited to do so, in which case their expenses would be paid.
	In this instance we consider the meeting to be a particular circumstance in order to re-convene a specific group of non-governmental organisations, which was established by the regulators to discuss particular matters around the Generic Design Assessment. In these circumstances, we are willing to offer to reimburse reasonable travel expenses for these delegates to attend the meeting in London on 17 November 2009.

Heating

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the accredited achieved efficiencies of heat pumps.

Joan Ruddock: The Department does not hold information on the accredited efficiencies of heat pumps. However, under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), product certification of heat pumps includes information on performance. More information on MCS is available at the website:
	www.ukmicrogeneration.org
	The Energy Saving Trust is currently carrying out heat pump field trails and this should provide further information the efficiencies of heat pumps. This trial is due to report in 2010.

Housing: Construction

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department provides  (a) grants and  (b) other financial incentives to encourage (i) the use of environmentally-friendly materials in housebuilding and (ii) the use of energy-conserving domestic appliances.

Joan Ruddock: The Department is providing £6 million for a Renewable Construction Demonstration Project which aims to increase the use of renewable construction materials in affordable homes. The project is administered by the Government's housing and regeneration body, the Homes and Communities Agency. Funding is available to registered social landlords to help create a series of greener homes using renewable materials such as timber frames, natural insulation and timber windows. Developers are also required to install smart meters to track energy use.
	The carbon emissions reduction target (CERT), and similar previous policies, place a carbon saving obligation on energy suppliers to be met through promoting energy efficiency to households. One approach that suppliers follow is to subsidise the cost of the most efficient domestic appliances at retail or through appliance trade-in schemes.
	Over the three years, 2005-08, eight million efficient cold and wet appliances were delivered and these were all A-rated or better. In the first year of CERT (2008-09) a further two million appliances were delivered providing lifetime emissions savings of about two million tonnes of CO2.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) miners and  (b) miners' widows have received industrial health compensation in each region of the UK in each of the last 20 years.

David Kidney: The Government assumed responsibility for British Coal's health compensation liabilities in January 1998.
	The following tables show the number of claimants who have received damages since 1998 in each region of the UK. The data are broken down into Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Vibration White Finger (VWF), Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) and 'Other' disease types where 'Other' includes all accident claims in addition to miscellaneous diseases.
	
		
			  COPD data as at 31 October 2009 
			  Number 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Midlands 0 5 57 214 704 1,414 3,400 14,608 20,760 7,957 2,677 828 
			 North East 0 226 721 2,529 7,050 14,264 18,112 30,735 18,448 12,519 7,257 2,160 
			 Notts, Derbys and Leics 0 53 173 958 2,349 3,561 3,477 7,456 2,937 1,045 627 284 
			 Other 0 - 1 6 14 36 83 306 892 674 850 1,046 
			 Scotland 0 70 146 718 1,492 2,363 3,084 5,899 5,166 2,557 764 602 
			 South/South East 0 31 64 215 556 1,288 1,576 3,674 2,831 864 708 183 
			 Wales 0 117 252 824 7,110 7,521 5,734 11,030 10,402 8,908 5,735 1,192 
			 Yorkshire 0 133 1,039 3,129 7,731 16,929 18,754 42,560 34,163 23,202 9,965 4,006 
		
	
	
		
			  VWF d ata as at 31 October 2009 
			  Number 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Midlands 51 85 84 172 584 879 403 429 235 369 396 24 
			 North East 188 422 686 1,292 4,973 6,106 4,170 3,971 2,616 4,726 8,818 563 
			 Notts, Derbys and Leics 14 762 399 1,073 1,949 3165 1491 1643 675 2,777 3,225 57 
			 Other 1 - 4 5 25 55 48 32 40 91 216 34 
			 Scotland 307 83 408 611 408 598 628 1,008 1,034 1,419 1,964 131 
			 South/South East 3 14 11 171 563 896 459 433 126 238 393 38 
			 Wales 307 516 433 733 1,683 1,508 2,019 657 942 1,231 2,385 71 
			 Yorkshire 178 672 664 1,500 4,945 7567 4,873 5,541 4,044 5,570 10,251 413 
		
	
	
		
			  NIHL data as at 31 October 2009 
			  Number 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Midlands 0 24 171 300 259 178 222 292 132 38 20 45 
			 North East 0 32 256 609 445 293 295 459 181 52 24 23 
			 Notts, Derbys and Leics 0 138 1,900 4,473 2,683 1,212 1,223 1,293 637 49 7 17 
			 Other 0 152 568 417 133 62 55 58 26 6 1 - 
			 Scotland 0 13 109 219 250 304 190 395 153 77 19 2 
			 South/South East 0 8 51 110 98 77 59 100 48 11 6 - 
			 Wales 0 19 159 298 284 244 184 340 165 96 43 48 
			 Yorkshire 0 100 866 2,054 1,323 1,051 985 1,107 440 131 48 62 
		
	
	
		
			  Other data as at 31 October 2009 
			  Number 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Midlands 10 6 1 7 4 7 5 4 11 5 4 4 
			 North East 13 5 2 4 6 6 5 6 16 1 2 4 
			 Notts, Derbys and Leics 15 2 1 - 2 4 2 4 6 4 - 4 
			 Other 31 13 18 12 5 11 3 3 24 - 3 3 
			 Scotland 4 - - - - 1 4 1 7 1 1 4 
			 South/South East - 1 - 1 2 - 4 - 6 - 1 0 
			 Wales 4 6 2 3 2 2 6 3 8 1 3 1 
			 Yorkshire 13 7 63 36 17 22 9 15 21 9 4 9

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what penalties his Department has imposed on Capita Group plc for its performance in administering the miners' compensation schemes.

David Kidney: The Department's contract with Capita includes a Service Level Agreement (SLA) linking some payments to the achievement of key performance targets across a range of operational areas. Capita have performed well throughout the life of the contract, but have not always earned 100 per cent. of the available SLA payments.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has levied in fines on Capita Group plc in respect of its performance in administering the miners' compensation schemes.

David Kidney: None. The Department's contract with Capita includes a service level agreement linking some payments to the achievement of key performance targets across a range of operational areas.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish all the correspondence between his Department and Capita Group plc dealing with  (a) claimants' complaints and  (b) hon. Members' complaints on the operation of the miners' compensation schemes.

David Kidney: In considering such requests the Department has to consider our obligations to maintain claimant confidentiality and our responsibility under the Data Protection Act. On that basis I am not able to agree to publish the correspondence referred to. If my right hon. Friend wishes to raise any individual constituency case with me in writing, I am of course, happy to investigate specific concerns.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings  (a) he and  (b) officials of his Department have had with Capita Group plc to discuss the administration of the miners' compensation schemes since the introduction of these schemes.

David Kidney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met with representatives of Capita plc to discuss the administration of the miners' compensation schemes. However, officials meet with Capita regularly as part of their ongoing contract management responsibilities and to review progress with completion of the coal health compensation schemes and other operational matters.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the efficiency of Capita Group plc in its administration of the two miners' compensation schemes.

David Kidney: Capita's performance is continually under review by the Department against its contractual obligations which Capita met to date. Capita's performance is also subject to audit focussing on performance against the service level agreement, costs and the implementation and progress of key elements of the claims handling process.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has paid to Capita Group plc for the administration of the two miners' compensation schemes  (a) in each year in which the schemes operated and  (b) in each year since the schemes closed.

David Kidney: Capita took over the administration of the coal health compensation schemes in 2004, when the claim handling operations were sold by AON, who had previously managed the schemes on behalf of the Department.
	The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease scheme was closed to new application in March 2004 and vibration white finger scheme closed to application in October 2002 for live claims and January 2003 for deceased claims.
	From 1 April 2004 to 31 October 2009, the Department has paid Capita Business Services c.£418 million for the administration of the coal health compensation schemes.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints his Department has received from  (a) claimants and  (b) hon. Members on Capita Group plc and its administration of the two miners' compensation schemes.

David Kidney: The Information requested relating specifically to complaints is not available from the Department's records. In the context of the delivery of the coal health compensation schemes the Department receives correspondence from MPs, claimants and other interested parties relating to a range of operational matters. To date, the majority of that correspondence relates to procedural and entitlement issues.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria his Department used when awarding contracts for administering the two miners' compensation schemes to Capital Group plc.

David Kidney: The Department used the following broad selection criteria when awarding the contract:
	Experience of claims handling, particularly on a large scale;
	Ability to manage ongoing process in an efficient cost effective manner;
	Ability to deploy wider claims handling, technical and management resources;
	Experience of scheme closure issue particularly in relation to people, property and IT;
	Ability to meet service specification.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 23 June 2009, transferred from his Department on 14 October, ref 292906, PQ 3048 08/09, on carbon emissions and climate change.

Joan Ruddock: I replied to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on 6 August.

National Nuclear Policy Statement

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria will be used to appoint commissioners to the Infrastructure Planning Commission's review of proposals contained in the National Nuclear Policy Statement issued on 9 November 2009.

David Kidney: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Natural Gas

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the respective roles of the  (a) Health and Safety Executive,  (b) Marine and Coastguard Agency and  (c) Environment Agency in respect of liquefied natural gas terminal operations in the UK.

David Kidney: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Natural Gas: Risk Assessment

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on risk assessments of liquefied natural gas operations.

David Kidney: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Natural Gas: Shipping

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the safety of liquefied natural gas shipping in UK waters.

David Kidney: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Security

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria were used to determine the appropriate land area to be designated at nominated nuclear sites to provide defence-in-depth in respect of security.

David Kidney: As set out in the Government Response to Consultation on the SSA Criteria and Process, as part of the Strategic Siting Assessment the Government considered whether it was reasonable to conclude that there was enough land within the boundary nominated to safely and securely operate at least one new nuclear power station.
	Operators are required to adopt the concept of defence-in-depth in protecting nuclear power stations. Defence-in-depth is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a concept used to design security systems that require an adversary to overcome or circumvent multiple obstacles, either similar or diverse, in order to achieve his objective. This requires the nominators to make adequate land available to install multiple barriers, with sufficient spacing between them, in order to provide the delay that allows an effective response by the security force.
	The relevant SSA criterion which considered the practicality of providing for adequate defence-in-depth for a new nuclear station, was criterion D9, which examined the size of site for operations. In providing advice on this criterion, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security confirmed that a rectangular area of adequate width (giving an enclosed area of approximately 30 hectares) would be required to provide the effective defence in depth necessary for the reactor building, spent fuel and intermediate level waste stores.
	For each nominated site, OCNS's advice involved consideration of both the size and the shape of the nominated area, given that shape is particularly relevant in considering whether there is sufficient room for these defence in depth measures at any nuclear site.
	The results of the assessment are available at
	http://www.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk

Nuclear Power Stations: Sellafield

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether land north of Sellafield earmarked for a nuclear power station has been sold by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

David Kidney: A consortium of GDF SUEZ SA, Iberdrola SA and Scottish and Southern Energy plc has secured an option to purchase land to the north of the existing Sellafield facility for the development of a new nuclear power station. Following the sale run by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the consortium set out plans to build up to 3.6 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity in the UK, with work beginning in 2015. The site, purchased for £70 million, follows previous sales of NDA land at Wylfa, Oldbury and Bradwell. Any new nuclear power station development will be subject to the regulatory and other consenting processes.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department was represented at the most recent Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil annual meeting (2 to 4 November) was attended by a Government official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office posted to the South East Asia region. FCO officials work closely with counterparts in the UK to represent wider Government interests and to keep policy makers informed of relevant developments abroad.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last discussed the use of sustainable palm oil with  (a) Ministerial colleagues,  (b) representatives of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil,  (c) representatives of the palm oil industry,  (d) representatives of environmental non governmental organisations and  (e) officials of other Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: This month I held discussions with UK-based businesses who are members of the RSPO and with international NGOs on forestry and palm oil. From 14 to 19 November I will be visiting Indonesia during which I am scheduled to meet palm oil producers, environmental NGOs, civil society groups and ministers and officials from the Indonesian Government. Engagement with these groups and other governments will continue as the UK Government work to support sustainable production and consumption of palm oil.

Palm Oil

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent assessment is of the effect on climate change and carbon emissions of the palm oil industry; what his Department's policy is on the use of sustainable palm oil; what representations he expects to make on the contribution of the palm oil industry to the level of carbon emissions and climate change at the forthcoming Copenhagen climate change conference; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: There is an increasing body of research on the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of palm oil production and consumption. Emissions can be produced at the production stage, transport, processing and end use. The largest direct climate change impact occurs when areas of peat-land forest are converted to plantations. A recent study estimated that one ha of peat swamp forest drained and converted to oil palm plantation may emit to the atmosphere up to 3,300 tonnes of CO(2) over its expected 30-year lifespan. Oil palm plantations on mineral soils which do not entail deforestation can remove carbon from the atmosphere.
	Our policy is to advance the sustainable production and consumption of palm oil, domestically and internationally. This includes through development of standards and engagement with businesses, NGOs, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and other governments. Specifically in Copenhagen we seek an agreement which includes ambitious targets to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, encourages sustainable management of forests, contains strong safeguards on the conversion of natural forests and to protect biodiversity and ensures free consultation with indigenous peoples and local communities.

Renewable Energy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, column 988, what proportion of the 40 per cent. of electricity which is expected to come from renewables by 2020 will be provided by each form of generating technology.

David Kidney: holding answer 5 November 2009
	The Low Carbon Transition plan states that by 2020 around 40 per cent. electricity will come from low carbon sources: renewables, nuclear and clean coal.
	The Renewable Energy Strategy, published in July 2009 at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/res/res.aspx
	presents an illustrative mix of technologies to meet the UK's share of the EU renewable energy target (Chart 2). This lead scenario suggests that around 30 per cent. electricity will come from renewable sources by 2020, 12 per cent. heat and 10 per cent. transport. This analysis is based on research by independent consultants Redpoint/Trilemma (2009), Nera (2009), and internal work by the Department of Transport.

Renewable Energy

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons his Department has reduced the rate of return achievable through feed-in tariffs for photovoltaic power generation; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: holding answer 10 November 2009
	The tariffs outlined in the Consultation on Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives 2009 have yet to be finalised as we are currently analysing the responses we received. The tariffs were proposed to provide a rate of return of approximately 5-8 per cent. for a well sited installation.
	As stated in the consultation document our reasoning behind the rates of return reflects the risks associated with deploying the different technologies and the likely effect those risks would have on investors' willingness to invest. For technologies that may involve complex design and approvals, then the return on investment may have to be higher than where these issues are reduced, for example with solar PV.
	For some technologies, e.g. PV and wind, actual rates of return will be dependent on local conditions. Rates of return for all technologies will also depend on installed costs.

Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish his proposals to encourage the installation of renewable heat technologies in respect of  (a) domestic and  (b) commercial properties.

Joan Ruddock: We are hoping to publish our proposals for a Renewable Heat Incentive, which will encourage the uptake of renewable heat through a financial support mechanism, shortly.

Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in which geographical areas the community energy savings programme is to operate; what the allocation and timescale of funding to each area is; what recent assessment he has made of progress in the implementation of the programme; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Community Energy Savings Programme aims to provide around £350 million of energy efficiency measures to the most vulnerable homes. Projects can take place in areas falling in the lowest income decile of the Income Domain of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation in England, and the lowest 15 per cent. of Income in Scotland and Wales. My Department has published a list of all the eligible areas (of which there are around 4,500) which is available on the DECC website.
	There is no allocation of funding to each area, but we expect around 100 projects around GB to help approximately 90,000 of the most vulnerable households. We are also about to tender a project to undertake a detailed evaluation of the programme as a whole, and are pleased by the recent announcement by British Gas who have agreed in principle to work with 10 local authorities across the country: Glasgow, Dundee, Swansea, Preston, Knowsley, Birmingham, Walsall, Blacon in Cheshire, Southwark and Haringey.

Renewable Energy: Developing Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Government have spent on the transfer of technology to harness renewable energy in developing countries in the latest year for which figures are available; and how much it plans to spend in the next 12 months.

David Kidney: holding answer 5 November 2009
	The UK funds the promotion of renewable energy in developing countries through multilateral funds and international organisations. It is not possible to quantify how much the UK has spent on the transfer of technology to harness renewable energy in developing countries distinct from other clean technologies. It is currently difficult to quantify expenditure in technology as the primary purpose as the objectives of these funds and organisations include other issues, such as adaptation to climate change or capacity building, and we need to avoid double counting. However, with increased international climate finance in the future, it will become important to develop a system which can track this level of detail.
	Multilateral funds supported by the UK include the Clean Technology Fund (within the Climate Investment Funds), to which the UK is contributing £385 million in this CSR and the Global Environment Facility, to which we are providing £140 million over four years. They cover a range of technologies and activities, including renewables. The UK has also committed to funding the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program, which is also part of the Climate Investment Funds, which will focus solely on renewable energy programmes in a small number of low income countries once it reaches its target capitalisation of $250 million.
	The UK directly supports a number of organisations operating in developing countries, including the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), to which the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) contributes £2.5 million per annum, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), to which DECC has contributed £l million in 2009-10 (the first year of IRENA's existence), and plans to contribute £2.2 million in 2010-11 and GVEP International (an international non-profit organisation seeking to reduce poverty through accelerated access to modern energy services), to which the Department for International Development (DFID) is providing £4 million over four years, running to 2011.

Renewable Energy: Developing Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with his counterparts in  (a) Bangladesh,  (b) Ethiopia,  (c) India,  (d) Kenya and  (e) Nepal on technology transfer to enable those countries to harness renewable energy and combat climate change.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 5 November 2009
	It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Warm Front Scheme

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of those eligible to receive Warm Front grants his Department estimates will receive such grants in 2009.

David Kidney: The number of people eligible for assistance under Warm Front at any given time cannot be accurately estimated. This is a result of the direct link between qualification and the constant flux in the number of households receiving the relevant passport benefits for the scheme.
	All households that apply to Warm Front and are confirmed as eligible then go on to receive grant-funded assistance from the Scheme. The level of assistance a qualifying household receives will vary according to the specific energy efficiency needs of the household.
	In 2008-09 the scheme assisted 233,594 households.

Warm Front Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the evidential basis is for the estimates made of average carbon dioxide emissions reductions under the Warm Front scheme; whether arrangements are made for the external audit of such estimates; and what the  (a) estimated and  (b) actual reductions were in each of the last five years.

David Kidney: The carbon reductions reported for the Warm Front Scheme are based on figures calculated by an external energy analysis company, the Energy Audit Company. The calculations are based on property data collected and supplied by eaga plc, the Scheme Manager, which are processed through specialist National Home Energy Rating (NHER) software issued by National Energy Services.
	There is no charge for this work to DECC.
	The process does not yield actual reductions for each individual property or projected estimates. The calculated figures for the last five years are as follows.
	
		
			  Average  r eduction  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 CO2 emissions, tonnes/year 1.453 1.331 1.203 1.298 1.233 
		
	
	The figures given for 2006-07 and 2008-09 differ to those previously quoted in the Warm Front Annual report for these years. This is the result of an error in calculation in these reports, which are in the process of being amended.

Wind Power

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding Ofgem has provided to connect each offshore windfarm to the mainland; and what estimate he has made of the gigawatts each windfarm will transmit.

David Kidney: Ofgem is currently running the first transitional round of competitive tenders to grant offshore transmission owner (OFTO) licences for the grid connections from offshore wind projects that qualified. The new OFTOs will reimburse the developers for their efficiently incurred connection costs determined by Ofgem. For the first round of tenders, this is estimated to be around £1.1 billion. In return developers will pay OFTOs an annual transmission charge for 20 years to use the connections. The OFTOs will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the connections for that period.
	The British Wind Energy Association provides information on the actual or anticipated output of offshore wind farms. This information is available at:
	http://www.bwea_com/ukwed/offshore.asp

Wind Power: Lincolnshire

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the recent consent for the construction of an onshore wind farm in Lincolnshire; what his most recent estimate is of  (a) the cost of the project,  (b) the number of watts it will generate and  (c) the approximate number of domestic properties which will be supported by its power generation.

David Kidney: I understand this question relates to an offshore wind farm-Lines-which was consented on 21 October 2008 following a public consultation exercise and the thorough consideration of a consent application that included an environmental impact assessment. The project, to be sited five miles off the Lincolnshire coast, will generate 250 MW of electricity, enough, according to the developer, Centrica, to supply around 200,000 properties. Centrica has indicated that the project will require an investment of £725 million.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Aviation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in the Government Equalities Office in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Michael Jabez Foster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Hotels

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Government Equalities Office spent on hotel bills in 2008-09.

Michael Jabez Foster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Government Equalities Office spent on hire vehicles in each of the last five financial years.

Michael Jabez Foster: Since the Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007, the following amounts have been spent of vehicle hire.
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2007-08 n/a 
			 2008-09 53 
			 2009-10 3,709

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with which providers the Government Equalities Office held contracts to provide postal services  (a) in 2007,  (b) in 2008,  (c) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and  (d) after 1 July 2009.

Michael Jabez Foster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Discrimination: Older Workers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on prevention of discrimination against persons aged over 60 years who apply for paid employment.

Michael Jabez Foster: Government Equalities Office Ministers work closely with their counterparts on issues affecting older people. We fully support the work being undertaken by DWP under the Government's 'Building a society for all ages' strategy, which tackles many issues affecting older people in the UK.
	GEO Ministers also work closely with Ministers at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which leads on legislation on age discrimination in the workplace.

Equal Opportunities

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, with reference to page 38 of the Government Equalities Office's Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2008-09, HC 874, what the other evidence is which contradicts the findings of the Citizenship Survey that there are no significant gaps between groups in perceptions of unfair treatment.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Government made a commitment in PSA15 to narrow the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged groups-for example, between men and women, and between non-disabled people and disabled people-in relation to perceptions of fair treatment, and to measure performance through responses to new questions in the Citizenship Survey.
	However, when GEO analysed data responses to the new questions, there was little evidence of significant gaps in perceptions of fair treatment between groups. The gaps that do exist are all small, usually between 1 and 2 percentage points. While we should not discount these findings, they do conflict with other evidence on the issue:
	The 2008 Citizenship Survey found that 34 per cent. of black and minority ethnic people believed that one or more from a range of listed public services would treat them worse than people of other races.
	A May 2008 Department of Health report (Report on self reported experience of patients from black and minority ethnic groups) found that BME groups are less likely to report a positive experience of healthcare.
	Organisations representing older people consistently present anecdotal evidence that this group are significantly disadvantaged in relation to treatment by public services (for example in the 2007 Help The Aged report, The Challenge of Dignity in Care: Upholding the rights of the individual).
	GEO will be reporting on progress for each of the PSA15 indicators in our Autumn Performance Report 2009.

Females

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the Women in Power: Milestones document of the Government Equalities Office, for what reason the UK's first woman Prime Minister is not mentioned by name in the document; and if she will make it her policy to revise the document to include her name.

Michael Jabez Foster: The omission of Baroness Thatcher's name on the milestone fact sheet was not intentional. This was an oversight. When it was brought to our attention it was corrected. This particular fact sheet was produced for a specific purpose-to coincide with the 80th and 90th anniversaries of the 'democratic' franchise of 1918(1) and the Equal Franchise Act of 1928(2).
	It is not a comprehensive list but provides a snapshot of some key advances made by women in political and public life over the years. We will be publishing a revised women's milestones fact sheet shortly.
	(1) The Democratic Franchise of 1918 gave the right to vote only to women over the age of 30).
	(2) The Equal Franchise Act of 1928 granted women the right to vote on the same terms as men.

Homosexuality: Human Rights

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps the Government Equalities Office has taken in respect of the human rights of gay and lesbian people.

Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Housing

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place in the Library a copy of the interim report on Social Housing Allocation and Immigrant Communities commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission from the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Michael Jabez Foster: I have placed a copy of the report on Social Housing Allocation and Immigrant Communities in the House of Commons Library. The report is already published on the Equality and Human Rights Commission's website.

Political Parties: Equal Opportunities

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of the extent of gender discrimination in registered political parties represented in Parliament.

Michael Jabez Foster: None.
	However, the Speaker's Conference is looking at gender discrimination as part of its remit to investigate, and make recommendations to address, the lack of women, disabled people and ethnic minorities in the House of Commons.
	The findings are expected to be published at the end of the year.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what percentage of invoices from suppliers her Office paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Organisations

Clive Efford: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure that third sector community organisations play a part in planning for the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Government are committed to ensuring a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The Government Olympic Executive has worked with Volunteering England and YouthNet to convene an advisory group to ensure that Third Sector organisations are fully involved in legacy planning.
	In addition, the Office of the Third Sector has provided £1.6 million to YouthNet and Volunteering England in order to strengthen existing third sector infrastructure in advance of the Games.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Organisations

Clive Efford: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what funding her Office has allocated to third sector community organisations to enable them to bid for the plans for the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office is funding two programmes that will support third sector involvement in the Olympic legacy. The first is a £1.6 million programme, managed by third sector organisations Youthnet and Volunteering England. It will enable 1,500 organisations to promote 100,000 more volunteering opportunities inspired by the London 2012 Games through the National Volunteering Database and help 100,000 people to register for these.
	The second programme will be delivered through the youth volunteering charity 'V'. In early 2010; 'V' will announce further details of a £5 million national programme to boost youth volunteering leading up to the 2012 Games. 'V' has been consulting with young people and a range of other stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, 2012 delivery bodies and Government Departments to inform this programme.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Organisations

Clive Efford: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what funding her Office has allocated to third sector organisations to develop their sporting facilities as part of the plans for the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

SCOTLAND

Advertising: Scotland

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department  (a) spent on advertising in 2008-09 and  (b) has so spent in 2009-10 on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office incurred no expenditure on advertising in 2008-09 and to date has incurred no costs in 2009-10.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office spent £456 on Christmas cards, but no expenditure was incurred from official funds on internal Christmas parties or decorations in the last 12 months.
	All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office paid 98.7 per cent. of invoices for suppliers within 10 days of receipt in September 2009 and 100 per cent. of invoices in October 2009.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Ann McKechin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: No special advisers are provided with an allocated Government car and driver.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department in 2008-09.

Ann McKechin: The total amount of reimbursable expenses claimed by press officers in the Scotland Office in 2008-09 was £633.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office holds one dataset only-the Scottish Parliament sub-constituency results data from the 2007 elections-which has been published on the Scotland Office website.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Si�n Simon: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agency in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: The amount of reimbursable expenses claimed in 2008-09 by press officers in the Department was £33,894.29.
	The amount of reimbursable expenses claimed in 2008-09 by press officers in the Department's agency, The Royal Parks, was £267.07.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Si�n Simon: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Extra-curricular Activities: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many young people in  (a) primary education and  (b) secondary education have participated in extra-curricular musical activity in the Milton Keynes area in each of the last five years.

Diana Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	Music is a national curriculum subject and all children from 5 to 14-years old should therefore participate in music activity at school. However, the Government do not collect information either from schools or from local authorities about numbers children and young people participating in extra-curricular musical activity.

Internet

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will commission a market study of the entertainment industry's use of internet sharing technology.

Si�n Simon: The Government are not aware of widespread use of peer-to-peer technology by the creative (entertainment) industries, and have no plans to conduct a market study.

Museums and Galleries: Visits

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many free visits were made to art galleries and museums funded from the public purse in each region of England in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the number of visits to free DCMS sponsored museums and galleries in England:
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 London 27,508,008 25,807,462 30,536,423 30,832,671 30,769,560 
			 North West 2,969,618 2,993,574 3,055,629 4,073,001 4,852,761 
			 South East 186,080 192,562 193,596 210,897 185,386 
			 Yorkshire 1,846,206 1,604,372 1,803,550 1,829,587 1,720,354 
			 North East 1,673,907 1,568,901 1,496,132 1,502,037 1,518,092 
			 Total 34,300,372 32,286,498 37,214,290 38,583,892 39,162,339 
		
	
	The free museums included in each region are as follows:
	London: British Museum, Geffrye Museum, Horniman Museum, Imperial War Museum, National Gallery, National Maritime Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wallace Collection.
	North West: Imperial War Museum North, Museum of Science and Industry Manchester, National Museums Liverpool, Locomotion at Shildon and Tate Liverpool.
	South East: Natural History Museum at Tring, Royal Armouries (Fort Nelson).
	Yorkshire: National Coalmining Museum, National Media Museum, National Railway Museum, Royal Armouries (Leeds).
	North East: Tyne and Wear Museums.
	Similar data on the number of visits to all art galleries and museums funded by the public purse could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

National Lottery Funding: Sports Council

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) National Lottery funding and  (b) Sports Council funding has been allocated to (i) rugby union, (ii) cricket and (iii) football in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Playing Fields: Schools

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to restrict the sale of school playing fields by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Public Libraries: Internet

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public libraries providing internet access to the public there were in each region of England in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: Information on the number of libraries open for more than 10 hours a week and providing internet access to the public is available for the last 10 years in the annual public library statistics published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). That information is available at a regional level from 2001-02, and from 2006-07 is provided as a percentage of libraries with access. Copies of CIPFA reports are held in the House Libraries.

Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to take steps to prevent  (a) playing fields,  (b) other sports facilities and  (c) libraries being disposed of in the Government's proposed sale of public assets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Sports: Finance

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department has allocated to third sector organisations to develop their facilities as sports hubs within their local communities; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Television: Licensing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many residential properties in Bassetlaw had no television licence at the latest date for which information is available.

Si�n Simon: The administration and enforcement of the television licensing system are the responsibility of the BBC, which operates independently of Government. The day-to-day administration and enforcement of licence fees are undertaken by TV Licensing, which act as agents for the Corporation. Accordingly, my Department does not hold this information centrally.
	I have asked the Head of Revenue Management at the BBC to write to the hon. Member and will place copies of the reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

UK Film Council

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Film Council in promoting the British film industry.

Si�n Simon: The UK Film Council consistently demonstrates its success in promoting the British film industry. Through production funding it helps support new filmmakers and new British films. Its exhibition funding ensures a wider choice of films to audiences throughout the UK. The UK Film Council also invests in training, promoting Britain as an international filmmaking location and in raising the profile of British films abroad. They have also demonstrated great success in securing inward investment to the UK with spend value at £436 million for the first half of 2009.
	Examples of films recently supported by the Film Council include In The Loop, Jane Campion's Bright Star and Dorian Gray. Also, following the phenomenal success of Slumdog Millionaire the UK Film Council Export Development Unit will bring the best of recent British independent film to cinemas across southern India next year (26 February to 11 March 2010).

WALES

Departmental Advertising

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on advertising in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: During 2007-08 and 2008-09 my Department did not incur any spend on advertising.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department in 2008-09.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office is based over two sites in London and Cardiff. A limited number of staff are required to work in both London and Cardiff and some staff are on detached duty from the Welsh Assembly Government whereby their accommodation expenses while staying in London are reimbursed in addition to the travel expenses incurred while on official business.
	In 2008-09 press officers in my Department claimed £38,827 in such reimbursable expenses.

Devolution

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether there are any proposals under consideration by his Department for the transfer of powers to the National Assembly for Wales which do not involve  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation.

Peter Hain: No.

Devolution

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of the processes for the transfer of powers to the National Assembly for Wales via  (a) the Government of Wales Act 2006,  (b) legislative competence orders and  (c) secondary legislation; and what powers have been transferred by each such means since 2006.

Peter Hain: The devolution settlement put in place by the Government of Wales Act 2006 is working well. I ensure that the processes for transferring powers to the National Assembly for Wales are subject to continuous review and improvement.
	Under the settlement, powers are transferred to the National Assembly via framework powers in Acts of Parliament and through Orders in Council (Legislative Competence Orders). Powers have been transferred in a total of 45 different areas to date, in seven Acts of Parliament and four Legislative Competence Orders. These are set out in the following list.
	 Powers transferred to the National Assembly for Wales
	 Framework Powers
	Government of Wales Act 2006: Matters 13.1-13.6
	NHS Redress Act 2006: Matter 9.1
	Education and Inspections Act 2006: Matters 5.1-5.10
	Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007: Matters 12.1-12.5
	Further Education and Training Act 2007: Matters 5.11-5.16
	Planning Act 2008: Matters 18.1-18.3
	Local Transport Act 2008: Matters 10.1
	 Legislative Competence Orders
	Additional Learning Needs: Matter 5.17
	Vulnerable Children: Matters 5.18; 15.2-15.8; and 16.1
	Domiciliary Care: Matter 15.1
	Red Meat Industry: Matter 1.1.

Devolution

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals before Parliament involving  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation contain framework powers for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Powers are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales via framework powers in UK Acts of Parliament and through Orders in Council (Legislative Competence Orders).
	Three Bills currently before Parliament include framework powers-the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, the Marine and Coastal Access Bill and the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill.
	One draft Legislative Competence Order (LCO), on the Welsh Language, is currently before Parliament for approval. Four proposed LCOs are currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in Parliament. These cover domestic fire sprinklers, culture, local government and school governance. A further two proposed LCOs, on the environment and mental health, have recently completed pre-legislative scrutiny.

Devolution: Publications

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the most recent published and electronic information which lists those powers which have been transferred to the National Assembly for Wales.

Peter Hain: Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 lists those powers which have been transferred to the National Assembly for Wales. The latest version of schedule 5 is set out on the National Assembly for Wales's website at:
	http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-legislation/bus-legislation-guidance/bus-legislation-guidance-documents/legislation_fields/schedule-5.htm
	This page can also be accessed via the Wales Office website.
	I have placed a copy of the current schedule 5 in the Library.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the political objectives are of the Government's military strategy in Afghanistan; and on what evidential basis the Government evaluate the effectiveness of that strategy in achieving those objectives.

Bob Ainsworth: The document UK policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: the way forward published by the Prime Minister in April sets out HM Government's political objectives in Afghanistan. It can be found at the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/204173/afghanistan_pakistan.pdf
	As the Prime Minister said in his recent speech, our progress is not measured in enemies killed, or battles won-it must be measured in the progress made each season in improving the quality of life of Afghan citizens, the quality of governance, and the capability of the Afghans to protect themselves-as we slowly but surely make it more and more difficult for the Taliban and al-Qaeda to rebuild their base in Afghanistan and the wider region.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour interval for each unit deployed in Afghanistan has been in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: The following table shows the operational tour details for each unit deployed to Afghanistan in the last 12 months, as 11 November 2009, and the date of their previous deployment to illustrate their tour intervals.
	
		
			  Infantry 
			   Latest i nformation  Previous i nformation 
			  Unit deployed  End date  Last operational deployment (as a unit)  Start date  Previous operational deployment (as a unit)  End date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 l(st) Battalion Grenadier Guards - Afghanistan October 2009 Afghanistan October 2007 24 
			 l(st) Battalion Coldstream Guards - Afghanistan October 2009 Afghanistan March 2007 30 
			 l(st) Battalion Welsh Guards October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Balkans April 2007 24 
			 3(rd) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq January 2005 51 
			 2(nd) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Northern Ireland November 2003 64 
			 3(rd) Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment(1) - Afghanistan October 2009 Iraq May 2005 52 
			 l(st) Battalion The Royal Welsh - Afghanistan October 2009 Cyprus April 2008 18 
			 2(nd) Battalion The Royal Welsh(2) - Afghanistan October 2009 Iraq November 2007 23 
			 2(nd) Battalion The Mercian Regiment October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Afghanistan November 2007 17 
			 l(st) Battalion The Rifles(3) March 2009 Afghanistan October 2008 Iraq November 2006 23 
			 2(nd) Battalion The Rifles October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq May 2007 23 
			 3rd) Battalion The Rifles - Afghanistan October 2009 Iraq February 2007 31 
			 4(th) Battalion The Rifles October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq November 2007 17 
			 2(nd) Battalion The Royal Gurkha Regiment April 2009 Afghanistan October 2008 Afghanistan October 2005 36 
			 (1) 3 Yorks have elements of the Battalion deploying on HERRICK 10 and HERRICK 11. (2) Royal Welsh have elements of the Battalion deployed on HERRICK 10 and HERRICK 11 and are due to deploy a further element on HERRICK 13. (3) 1 RGBW and 1 DDLI amalgamated in March 2007 to form 1 RIFLES. 1 RIFLES has deployed for the first time as a formed unit in October 2008 on Herrick 9. 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Armoured Corps 
			  Unit deployed  End date  Last operational deployment (as a unit)  Start date  Previous operational deployment (as a unit)  End date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 HCR April 2008 Afghanistan October 2007 Iraq October 2004 36 
			 QDG April 2009 Afghanistan October 2008 Iraq November 2006 23 
			 LD October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Afghanistan October 2007 18 
			 2 RTR October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq August 2003 67 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Artillery (6) 
			   End date  Last operational deployment (as a unit)  Start date  Previous operational deployment (as a unit)  End date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 1 RHA - Afghanistan October 2009 Iraq December 2007 21 
			 7 PARA RHA October 2008 Afghanistan April 2008 Afghanistan October 2006 18 
			 29 Cdo Regt RA April 2009 Afghanistan October 2008 Afghanistan April 2007 18 
			 40 Regt RA October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq May 2007 23 
		
	
	'Unit' is defined as any regiment deploying with a regimental headquarters and more than two sub units and 'deployment' as any unit deploying for four months or more.
	The Army's Harmony Guidelines recommend that Army units achieve 24 months between each six-month operational tour. While there are necessary exceptions for certain trades and units, the situation continues to improve and we are generally succeeding in this aim.

Afghanistan: Police

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria his Department has used to assess potential recruits to the Afghan police force.

Bill Rammell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Air Force: Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF aircraft of each type are  (a) in service,  (b) in the forward fleet and  (c) fit for purpose.

Bill Rammell: I will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested shortly.

Air Force: Finance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amount of in-year savings he expects the Royal Air Force to achieve in 2009-10; and in which principal areas.

Kevan Jones: The Air Command Top Level Budget has implemented savings worth some £14 million to contain in-year expenditure within its budgetary allocation for 2009-10. Savings have been made in the marketing and service personnel areas, and by adjusting activity levels, including exercises. Other measures affecting the RAF have been taken in defence equipment and support, where expenditure of some £30 million has, in the main, been deferred into next year. Further savings measures may yet need to be taken. None of the measures will affect support to operations in Afghanistan.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding is required for cadet instructors to resume training.

Kevan Jones: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what remuneration cadet instructors will receive in 2009-10; and from what budget such remuneration will be drawn.

Bill Rammell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Armed Forces: Coroners

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions his Department was legally represented at inquest proceedings in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; and what the cost to his Department was on each occasion.

Kevan Jones: The information requested for 2008 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Name  Date inquest convened  Cost  (£) 
			 1. Ranger S Shilliday 22 January 2008 23,530.35 
			 
			 2. Lance Corporal PB Muirhead 25 January 2008 3671.80 
			  Ranger A Draiva   
			 
			 3. Private AB Cutts(1) 25 January 2008 539.81 
			 
			 4. Mr. Bradley 28 January 2008 14,077.48 
			  Mr. Green   
			  Mr. Evans   
			  Mr. Meirs   
			  Mr. Buckley   
			 
			 5. Sergeant JS Hollingsworth 1 October 2008 12,198.91 
			 6. Captain J Philippson 15 February 2008 3911.41 
			 7. Lieutenant E Douglas 25 February 2008 59,479.57 
			 
			 8. Captain D Patten 27 February 2008 7,447.23 
			  Sergeant P Bartlett   
			 
			 9. Lance Corporal M Jones RM 18 March 2008 7,794.11 
			 10. Marine TG Curry 27 March 2008 3,655.21 
			 
			 11. Gunner SR Wright 18 April 2008 5,477.51 
			  Gunner S Vanua   
			 
			 12. Ellen Paddock 22 April 2008 23,934.04 
			 13. Marine RJ Watson 2 May 2008 3,096.78 
			 
			 14. Nimrod 6 May 2008 102,336.84 
			  Flight Lieutenant S Johnson   
			  Flight Lieutenant L Mitchelmore   
			  Flight Lieutenant GR Nicholas   
			  Flight Lieutenant J Squires   
			  Flight Lieutenant S Swarbrick   
			  Flight Sergeant GW Andrews   
			  Flight Sergeant S Beattie   
			  Flight Sergeant GM Bell   
			  Flight Sergeant A Davies   
			  Sergeant BJ Knight   
			  Sergeant JJ Langton   
			  Sergeant GP Quilliam   
			  Corporal OS Dicketts   
			  Marine JD Windall   
			 
			 15. Lieutenant R Palmer 6 May 2008 8,463.37 
			 16. Corporal DW Bonner 2 June 2008 2,118.71 
			 17. Private T Rawson 2 June 2008 808.17 
			 18. Marine G Wright 27 June 2008 3,748.51 
			 
			 19. Lance Bombardier R Clark 18 July 2008 2,312.66 
			  Lance Bombardier L McLaughlin   
			 
			 20. Lance Corporal D McGregor 12 August 2008 33,081.68 
			 21. Captain J McDermid 12 September 2008 5,215.68 
			 22. Lance Corporal B Young 4 September 2008 15,173.98 
			 23. Mr J Garnons-Williams 22 September 2008 24,590.68 
			 24. Lance Bombardier JE Dwyer 26 September 2008 3690.52 
			 
			 25. Hercules 30 September 2008 236,140.34 
			  Squadron Leader P Marshall   
			  Flight Lieutenant DK Stead   
			  Flight Lieutenant A Smith   
			  Flight Lieutenant P Pardoel   
			  Master Engineer G Nicholson   
			  Chief Technician R Brown   
			  Flight Sergeant M Gibson   
			  Sergeant R O'Connor   
			  Corporal D Williams   
			  Lance Corporal S Jones   
			 
			 26. Corporal M Wright 6 October 2008 74,002.81 
			 27. Private D Jackson 9 October 2008 708.77 
			 28. Sergeant M A Stansfield 3 November 2008 6,392.22 
			 29. Private A J Borketas 17 November 2008 31,841.25 
			 30. Private K Thompson 26 November 2008 8574.90 
			 
			 31. Colour Sergeant M Powell 2 December 2008 44,307.26 
			  Sergeant M McLaren   
			 
			 32. Lance Corporal M Ford 4 December 2008 20,477.27 
			  Total  792,799.83 
			 (1) Inquest halted by coroner in September 2007 when further evidence of incident emerged from witness: reconvened on 25 January 2008. 
		
	
	The cases in the table are those where the inquest completed in 2008, although the expenditure may have been spread over a number of years. The figure represents all costs associated with the inquest, including disbursements and VAT.
	I provided the information sought for 2006 and 2007 in a written answer on 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 2002W. Regrettably, in constructing this answer it has come to light that the information provided previously was inaccurate. I will write with the correct information once it is available.

Armed Forces: Equipment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the unit cost is of each  (a) armoured vehicle type,  (b) aircraft type and  (c) helicopter type in the armed forces.

Quentin Davies: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 234W, on armed forces: housing, what cost was incurred in each region.

Kevan Jones: The following tables list the location, number and total monthly rent of all Substitute Service Family Accommodation and Substitute Service Single Accommodation properties.
	
		
			  Substitute service family accommodation 
			  Location  Number of properties  Total monthly rent (£) 
			 Aberdeen 2 2,900.00 
			 Birmingham 109 118,327.09 
			 Bath 22 36,420.40 
			 Blackburn 5 2,881.30 
			 Bradford 1 1,200.00 
			 Bournemouth 29 32,346.42 
			 Bolton 8 5,770.00 
			 Brighton 4 6,156.00 
			 Bromley 1 2,605.00 
			 Bristol 13 13,781.55 
			 Carlisle 4 2,870.00 
			 Cambridge 20 22,606.50 
			 Cardiff 13 12,031.63 
			 Chester 7 6,148.20 
			 Chelmsford 9 10,542.40 
			 Colchester 2 1,630.00 
			 Croydon 3 2,735.00 
			 Canterbury 4 3,825.00 
			 Coventry 24 20,551.36 
			 Crewe 1 2,250.00 
			 Dundee 3 3,341.55 
			 Derby 2 1,470.00 
			 Dumfries 2 1,975.00 
			 Durham 5 3,335.00 
			 Darlington 34 24,386.99 
			 Doncaster 3 2,156.65 
			 Dorchester 29 28,468.93 
			 Dudley 2 3,395.00 
			 London E 3 5,965.41 
			 Exeter 26 22,440.98 
			 Falkirk 11 11,307.20 
			 Glasgow 8 9,285.00 
			 Gloucester 10 10,429.19 
			 Guildford 18 25,722.87 
			 Harrow 17 35,389.12 
			 Huddersfield 2 1,328.55 
			 Harrogate 1 1,195.00 
			 Hemel Hempstead 128 246,264.94 
			 Hereford 96 74,163.56 
			 Hull 9 7,909.18 
			 Halifax 4 3,150.00 
			 Ipswich 9 8,841.15 
			 Kilmarnock 3 2,925.00 
			 Kensington upon Thames 5 14,115.00 
			 Liverpool 18 18,145.00 
			 Lancaster 14 10,404.36 
			 Lanrindodd Wells 2 1,330.00 
			 Leicester 7 6,370.00 
			 Llandudno 12 9,615.15 
			 Leeds 8 7,410.00 
			 Luton 5 7,531.80 
			 Manchester 4 3,510.00 
			 Milton Keynes 10 11,009.70 
			 London N 3 5,658.33 
			 Newcastle 5 5,656.50 
			 Nottingham 55 41,133.83 
			 Newport 9 8,107.00 
			 London NW 5 10,493.16 
			 Oldham 4 3,070.00 
			 Oxford 179 211,953.44 
			 Paisley 2 1,588.75 
			 Peterborough 3 4,825.00 
			 Plymouth 94 72,626.78 
			 Portsmouth 18 24,922.00 
			 Preston 10 7,190.70 
			 Reading 4 5,900.00 
			 Redhill 1 1,425.00 
			 Sheffield 11 9,245.00 
			 Swansea 15 11,119.55 
			 London SE 5 10,726.67 
			 Stevenage 3 4,745.00 
			 Stockport 7 6,155.41 
			 Slough 21 50,167.83 
			 Sutton 1 3,225.00 
			 Swindon 24 24,187.80 
			 Southampton 71 70,741.11 
			 Salisbury 56 78,263.49 
			 Sunderland 2 1,628.70 
			 Southend on Sea 1 875.00 
			 Stock on Trent 4 3,025.00 
			 London SW 12 34,816.24 
			 Shrewsbury 6 7,218.00 
			 Taunton 18 14,791.10 
			 Berwick upon Tweed 3 1,820.00 
			 Tonbridge 6 10,800.75 
			 Torquay 3 3,220.00 
			 Truro 32 29,435.89 
			 Middlesbrough 17 15,753.45 
			 Twickenham 3 7,409.45 
			 Uxbridge 4 8,125.00 
			 London W 12 34,093.30 
			 Warrington 4 3,065.75 
			 Watford 3 6,150.00 
			 Wakefield 1 853.00 
			 Wigan 1 800.00 
			 Worcester 5 6,270.00 
			 Walsall 1 1,063.70 
			 Wolverhampton 2 2,370.00 
			 York 25 21,445.50 
			 Shetland Islands 1 1,150.00 
			 Total 1,563 1,821,172.31 
		
	
	
		
			  Substitute service single accommodation 
			  Location  Number of properties  Total monthly rent (£) 
			 Aberdeen 17 10,022.25 
			 Bath 169 121,030.79 
			 Belfast 3 1,595.00 
			 Berwick upon Tweed 2 1,070.00 
			 Birmingham 271 185,421.87 
			 Blackburn 6 3,615.00 
			 Blackpool 60 38,020.12 
			 Bolton 17 8,336.06 
			 Bournemouth 9 6,345.00 
			 Bradford 2 1,165.00 
			 Brighton 19 14,254.25 
			 Bristol 437 295,682.26 
			 Bromley 7 7,212.75 
			 Cambridge 45 29,211.04 
			 Canterbury 31 20,398.47 
			 Cardiff 52 31,270.55 
			 Carlisle 24 11,224.86 
			 Chelmsford 8 5,515.62 
			 Chester 36 24,177.16 
			 Colchester 132 60,325.87 
			 Coventry 30 17,731.21 
			 Crewe 3 1,640.00 
			 Croydon 9 6,521.08 
			 Darlington 87 45,301.61 
			 Dartford 3 2,966.05 
			 Derby 5 3,305.00 
			 Doncaster 8 4,144.68 
			 Dorchester 10 6,442.25 
			 Dudley 2 1,529.90 
			 Dumfries 3 1,525.00 
			 Dundee 29 17,337.51 
			 Durham 4 2,350.00 
			 Edinburgh 69 44,926.28 
			 Enfield 2 2,000.00 
			 Exeter 36 20,815.76 
			 Falkirk 24 12,645.55 
			 Glasgow 235 144,580.99 
			 Gloucester 39 26,610.42 
			 Guildford 168 123,113.84 
			 Halifax 2 1,147.00 
			 Harrow 11 8,208.95 
			 Harrrogate 13 7,802.12 
			 Hemel Hempstead 4 2,896.12 
			 Hereford 146 91,118.16 
			 Huddersfield 2 1,052.33 
			 Hull 82 39,146.00 
			 Ilford 6 4,948.21 
			 Inverness 18 9,184.99 
			 Ipswich 87 41,721.34 
			 Kensington upon Thames 16 15,998.97 
			 Kilmarnock 39 21,400.98 
			 Kirkcaldy 8 4,710.45 
			 Kirkwall 3 1,478.59 
			 Lancaster 151 72,118.04 
			 Lanrindodd Wells 34 16,896.87 
			 Leeds 35 20,253.45 
			 Leicester 24 17,165.98 
			 Lincoln 1 527.50 
			 Liverpool 72 42,547.89 
			 Llandudno 42 23,756.42 
			 London E 214 219,114.09 
			 London EC 10 9,767.08 
			 London N 32 31,521.49 
			 London NW 64 76,611.62 
			 London SE 180 202,879.37 
			 London SW 470 563,050.99 
			 London W 72 83,211.80 
			 London WC 1 1,516.67 
			 Luton 17 10,190.00 
			 Manchester 43 27,277.95 
			 Medway 5 3,528.33 
			 Middlesbrough 19 11,192.00 
			 Milton Keynes 33 35,142.92 
			 Motherwell 2 1,140.00 
			 Newcastle 92 56,265.03 
			 Newport 46 27,281.08 
			 Northampton 1 525.00 
			 Norwich 7 4,218.00 
			 Nottingham 26 15,478.10 
			 Oldham 3 1,924.30 
			 Oxford 28 23,238.08 
			 Paisley 7 4,114.75 
			 Perth 14 8,135.24 
			 Peterborough 9 4,960.00 
			 Plymouth 31 15,337.63 
			 Portsmouth 57 40,144.18 
			 Preston 47 28,589.76 
			 Reading 17 13,283.12 
			 Redhill 10 7,300.45 
			 Romford 6 4,666.55 
			 Salisbury 122 80,003.81 
			 Sheffield 38 21,537.17 
			 Shrewsbury 7 4,417.50 
			 Slough 23 21,029.65 
			 Southampton 26 18,255.03 
			 Southend on Sea 3 1,842.00 
			 Stevenage 6 2,805.84 
			 Stock on Trent 13 7,522.30 
			 Stockport 4 2,710.00 
			 Sunderland 4 2,370.00 
			 Sutton 2 1,438.70 
			 Swansea 18 10,967.60 
			 Swindon 86 56,431.64 
			 Taunton 14 8,444.36 
			 Telford 8 3,935.00 
			 Tonbridge 47 31,413.24 
			 Torquay 2 1,310.00 
			 Truro 16 9,605.87 
			 Twickenham 63 64,573.15 
			 Uxbridge 1 775.00 
			 Wakefield 15 7,325.52 
			 Walsall 7 4,891.05 
			 Warrington 23 14,062.70 
			 Watford 5 3,875.00 
			 Wigan 3 1,875.00 
			 Wolverhampton 4 2,491.65 
			 Worcester 7 3,298.96 
			 York 61 42,257.77 
			 Total 5,100 3,768,532.50

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on  (a) Substitute Single Service Accommodation and  (b) Single Living Accommodation in each region in each year since 2004.

Kevan Jones: For details of the current monthly expenditure on substitute single service accommodation (SSSA) broken down by region, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given him today.
	Details of the actual amounts spent in each year by region on SSSA and SLA are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the following total amounts were spent on SSSA in each year since 2004:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ millions) 
			 2004 32.9 
			 2005 36.8 
			 2006 40.5 
			 2007 44.5 
			 2008 50.9

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what countries the regimental recruiting teams have visited in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: Army recruiting teams (ARTs), formerly known as regimental recruiting teams, operate in the United Kingdom and are not active overseas.
	The Army's overseas pre-selection teams do travel to those Commonwealth countries where interest in joining the army is high to conduct pre-selection tests among those who have already applied to join the British Army, although they have not done so since 2008. The list of countries visited in the last five years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year of visit  Countries visited 
			 2009-10 None 
			 2008-09 Fiji, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Belize 
			 2007-08 Fiji 
			 2006-07 Fiji 
			 2005-06 None

Armed Forces: Social Security Benefits

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the provision of national insurance credits for spouses of armed forces personnel refused state benefits on the grounds that they have not paid sufficient national insurance contributions.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The Service Command Paper The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans' (Cm 7424) published in July 2008 contained the Department's commitment to award Class 1 National Insurance Credits to spouses and civil partners of service personnel posted overseas with effect from April 2010. This will enable more members of service personnel families to qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 743W, on armed forces: training, what the percentage shortfall of  (a) night vision goggles and  (b) body armour used for pre-deployment training was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Our priority is to get new equipment to the front line as quickly as possible for use by personnel facing the greatest risk. However, we also look to ensure that sufficient new equipment is provided for troops during pre-deployment training. All new urgent operational business cases now include a clear requirement that sufficient quantities of equipment are procured and delivered for training before they are deployed operationally.
	The last period for which figures are available was the Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) for 11 (Light) Brigade in July 2009. Body armour was available to all those taking part in the exercise. Theatre Entry Standard 'Osprey' body armour was prioritised to those whose roles take them out of base locations-approximately two thirds of the total force. Theatre Entry Standard 'Osprey' was available at pre-deployment training to 45 per cent. of these troops. The availability in theatre is 100 per cent. for those who deploy outside of base locations. 1,000 additional sets of Osprey will have been delivered for training by the time of the MRX for the next brigade to deploy to Afghanistan.
	This will result in an availability rate of 62 per cent. for those whose roles take them out of base locations and will continue to rise as industry delivers. By sharing equipment, all troops have an opportunity to train on theatre entry standard 'Osprey' prior to deployment. The inventory of night vision devices covers a range of equipment including weapon sights. For some of these deliveries are not yet complete. For the 11 (Light) Brigade MRX, availability ranged from 100 per cent. to 12 per cent. Priority was given to those who will be required to use it most in theatre and all will have been trained in the use of night vision devices in theatre. As with 'Osprey', additional equipment is being constantly delivered to ensure UK forces have the best equipment available and there will be improved availability in time for the MRX for the next brigade to deploy.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on replacing the ceremonial uniforms of  (a) the Grenadier Guards,  (b) the Coldstream Guards,  (c) the Scots Guards,  (d) the Irish Guards and  (e) the Welsh Guards in each of the last five years.

Quentin Davies: The annual expenditure for ceremonial uniforms for each of the listed Guard's Regiments in the last five financial years is provided in the following table. These figures include expenditure on hats, boots, belts, jackets, trousers and gloves.
	
		
			  £  m illion 
			  Guard Regiment  FY 2004-05  FY 2005-06  FY 2006-07  FY 2007-08  FY 2008-09 
			 Grenadier Guards 0.154 0.038 0.170 0.349 0.282 
			 Coldstream Guards 0.056 0.151 0.290 0.146 0.188 
			 Scots Guards 0.045 0.028 0.172 0.069 0.185 
			 Irish Guards 0.330 0.033 0.172 0.114 0.872 
			 Welsh Guards 0.011 0.129 0.163 0.109 0.086

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual level of spare part availability is for each (i) armoured vehicle type and (ii) aircraft type in the armed forces (A) overall and (B) in Afghanistan.

Quentin Davies: The information for armoured vehicles is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on spares availability for rotary-wing aircraft is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The required level of spares for fixed-wing aircraft is included in contractual agreements with industry or is set by the Front Line Command. The achieved level of available spares is measured as part of these agreements.
	The following information for the required and achieved level of spares for each fixed-wing aircraft fleet is provided as at September 2009 unless otherwise stated. The level of spares for operational deployments to Afghanistan is not recorded separately unless otherwise stated.
	
		
			  Fixed Wing Aircraft 
			  Aircraft  Requirement (1)  Achieved( 1) 
			 Typhoon Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 Tornado GR4(2) Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 Tornado F3 Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 Harrier GR7/GR9/T10/T12 90 per cent. of spares to be delivered within the required delivery date. 94 per cent. 
			 Nimrod MR2/Rl Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 Tristar 85 per cent. 82 per cent. 
			 VC10 80 per cent. 91 per cent. 
			 Sentry Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry(3) - 
			 Sentinel 75, 95 and 95 per cent. of spares(4) to be delivered within the required delivery date 83, 100 and 97(5) per cent. 
			 Hercules C-130J/K Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 C-17 Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 BAE 146 Spares availability is not measured(6) - 
			 BAE 125 Spares availability is not measured - 
			 Dominie Spares availability is not measured - 
			 Hawk T1/T2 Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 Tucano Provided under an aircraft availability contract with industry - 
			 Jetstream Spares availability is not measured - 
			 Vigilant Glider Spares availability is not measured - 
			 Viking Glider Spares availability is not measured - 
			 Islander and Defender 80 per cent. 66 per cent. 
			 (1) Percentage figures have been rounded to the nearest whole per cent. (2) The actual deployed level of spares in Afghanistan on 1 September 2009 was 99 per cent. (3) This corrects an earlier answer I gave on 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 310-12W. (4) 75 per cent. figure is for mission non-critical spares, 95 per cent. is for mission critical spares and 95 per cent. is for consumables. (5) This was for the period July to September 2009. (6) These aircraft are military derivatives of civil aircraft. Spare parts are procured on a 'just-in-time' basis from the civil market to supplement minimum stock holdings held at the main and forward operating bases.

Defence Estates: Sales

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the amount raised by the sale of Defence Estates stock in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: Defence estates is the Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisation responsible for the disposal of the Department's surplus sites. The total accrued receipts from MOD land and property sold in each of the last five financial years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total receipts (£ millions) 
			 2004-05 212 
			 2005-06 258 
			 2006-07 394 
			 2007-08 1,100 
			 2008-09 110 
		
	
	It is not possible to break these figures down by type of property sold without incurring disproportionate cost and effort.

Defence Estates: West Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the Defence Estate in West Sussex.

Kevan Jones: The Department, both centrally and at a local level, maintains a wide variety of information on the Defence estate, including that in West Sussex. This includes databases of land and property owned and disposed of, environmental information (such as land quality assessments) and site maps.
	Current Ministry of Defence sites in West Sussex are:
	Arun Valley Army Training Centre (ATC)
	Baker Barracks, Thorney Island
	Barnet Territorial Army Centre (TAC)
	Bognor Joint Cadet Centre
	Building at Pease Pottage (Met Office)
	Burgess Hill ATC
	Chichester Army Careers Information Office
	Chichester Cadet Centre
	Crawley ATC
	Crawley TAC
	East Grinstead ATC
	Government Pipeline and Storage System-Chichester Depot
	Grave Snell Hatch Cemetery
	Haywards Heath Cadet Centre
	Horsham Cadet Centre
	Hurstpierpoint (Army Cadet Force-ACF)
	Littlehampton (ACF)
	New Barnet Army Training Centre (ATC)
	Plot at Clymping Cemetery
	Semi-Automated Observation Site (Met Office)
	Shoreham Cadet Centre
	Steyning Joint Cadet Centre
	Storrington ATC
	Thorney Island TAC
	Worthing ATC
	Worthing TAC
	There are in addition a number of combined cadet forces facilities connected with colleges or schools in the area.

Defence Medical Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many agency staff of each speciality have been employed in the Defence Medical Services in each of the last five years; and what expenditure was incurred on such staff in each year.

Kevan Jones: Where a particular cadre or specialism is in short supply within the regular and reserve staff of the Defence Medical Services, a limited number of civilian locums may be employed to provide essential support to deployed operations. These are known as Contractors on Deployed Operations (CONDOs), and the following table lists the numbers employed and the costs for the last five years. Individual CONDOs are not deployed for the full financial year-a typical deployment period would be from around six weeks for nurses to three months for neurosurgeons and pharmacists.
	In the table provided, ITU stands for intensive treatment unit and EN for emergency nurse.
	
		
			  Financial year  Specialism  Operation  Number of individuals employed as civilian locums  Cost (£ million) 
			 April 2004-March 2005 ITU and EN Telic (Iraq) 50 1 
			 April 2005-March 2006 ITU and EN Telic 50 1.1 
			 April 2006-March 2007 ITU and EN Telic 54 1.155 
			 April 2007-March 2008 ITU and EN Telic 38 0.565 
			  ITU and EN Herrick (Afghanistan) 15 0.458 
			  Neurosurgeon Herrick 1 0.154 
			 April 2008-March 2009 ITU and EN Herrick 31 1.760 
			  Neurosurgeon Herrick 3 0.520 
			  Pharmacist Herrick 1 0.060 
			 April 2009-August 2009 ITU and EN Herrick 21 0.570 
			  Paediatric nurse Herrick 2 0.080 
			  Pharmacist Herrick 1 0.010 
			  Neurosurgeon Herrick 2 0.130 
		
	
	Medical locums are also employed to cover military posts in the UK when cover is required, for example when personnel deploy on operations. Their employment is arranged locally by the units for which it is required, and managed from within local budgets. Comprehensive data for the last five years from all such units are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Research

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Wallace) of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1799W, on defence: research, what research programmes will be  (a) cancelled and  (b) reduced in scale as a result of the reduction in planned science innovation and technology expenditure in 2010-11.

Quentin Davies: The scope of future research programmes in the following areas: Maritime, Land, Air, Weapons, C4ISTAR and ballistic missile defence will be reduced compared to previous plans, as a consequence of the reduction in research expenditure.
	There are no plans to cancel existing contracts.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Quentin Davies: The Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to regular independent audit or reviews. These are typically conducted by the Communications-Electronic Security Group (CESG) as the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance, by auditing firms, or by independent third parties.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which organisations his Department has had exclusivity agreements relating to information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years.

Quentin Davies: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Kevan Jones: As a matter of course, the MOD publishes all of its datasets which meet the definition of 'official statistics' set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the 'Code of Practice for Official Statistics' and the 'National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics'.

Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters of each type are  (a) in service,  (b) in the forward fleet and  (c) fit for purpose.

Bill Rammell: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested shortly.

Hotels: Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on hotel bills in 2008-09.

Kevan Jones: We spent some £50 million on hotel bills in 2008-09. This figure represents the expenditure incurred through the central Defence Hotel Reservation Service, through which the majority of the MOD's hotel bookings are increasingly being made.
	Included in this figure is expenditure by both military and civilian staff in the Department, the Defence Agencies and the Defence Support Group Trading Fund. Excluded is expenditure by our other trading funds and our advisory non-departmental bodies, which do not use the central contract. Also excluded is expenditure incurred outside the Defence Hotel Reservation Service; for example, where the costs of accommodation are included in a residential training package or where overnight accommodation is arranged at the last minute.

Iraq/Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred on engaging private security companies and private military companies for work undertaken in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested shortly.

Navy: Casualties

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many Royal Navy personnel have been injured whilst taking part in operations in the  (a) Indian Ocean,  (b) Atlantic and  (c) Pacific in the last two years;
	(2)  how many Royal Navy personnel have been injured whilst taking part in Operation Active Endeavour in the last two years.

Kevan Jones: Between 1 October 2007 and 30 September 2009 there have been two seriously injured Royal Navy personnel while taking part in operations in the Indian Ocean, including one seriously injured Royal Navy personnel injured on Operation Telic. There were no seriously injured Royal Navy personnel injured on operations in the Atlantic ocean and no seriously injured Royal Navy personnel injured in the Pacific ocean.
	Between 1 October 2007 and 30 September 2009 there have been two seriously injured Royal Navy personnel while taking part on Operation Active Endeavour.
	These data include those listed as very seriously injured and seriously injured as reported through the notification of casualties reporting system. Individuals have been included if they have been injured while assigned to a ship whilst taking part in operations in the Indian ocean (including those injured within the joint area of operation for Op. Telic), Atlantic or the Pacific, or on Operation Active Endeavour.

Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 41W, on nuclear submarines: decommissioning, whether the Scottish Executive have accepted the invitation to participate in the initial scoping phase of the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Submarine Dismantling Project; and when the scoping phase is due to commence.

Quentin Davies: The Scottish Executive have accepted this invitation.
	The initial scoping phase is due to commence following a period of engagement with elected representatives in areas with sites that have the potential to undertake Submarine Dismantling Project activities. The precise date, however, has yet to be determined.

Reserve Forces: Pensions

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2009 to Question 298468, in what ways the Reserve Forces Pension Scheme differs from the pension scheme offered to regular armed forces.

Kevan Jones: The two pension schemes are broadly similar. Copies of MMP/123 Reserve Forces Pension and Compensation Benefits and MMP/124 Armed Forces Pension Scheme 05: Your Pension Scheme Explained will be placed in the Library of the House. These booklets can also be found on the Ministry of Defence website at the following link:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/Pensions/ArmedForcesPensions/
	The main differences between the two pension schemes are in the areas of qualification period for benefits, the ability to accrue additional periods of service, the payment of an Early Departure Payment and the timing of pension payments.

Territorial Army

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much of the £20 million allocated to the Territorial Army has been spent;
	(2)  what recent orders have been issued to Territorial Army commanders on training and training costs;
	(3)  when Territorial Army commanders will be permitted to resume training;
	(4)  what timetable has been set for the disbursement to Territorial Army (TA) units of the £20 million allocated for the TA.

Kevan Jones: On 2 November 2009, orders were issued providing direction to restore most of the activity that had previously been identified as unaffordable. Commanders have been given discretion to reinstate activity within the context of this guidance as soon as they are able. The guidance directs commanders to focus training activity on those TA personnel earmarked for operations and to undertake limited training activity to ensure continuity of service for those not deploying immediately on operations.
	It is not possible to confirm how much of the £20 million allocated to the Territorial Army (TA) has already been spent. An initial disbursement has already been made to the regional divisions. The remaining funds will be disbursed at intervals throughout the financial year.

Territorial Army: West Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Territorial Army units are based in West Sussex; and where their headquarters are.

Bill Rammell: The Territorial Army units based in West Sussex are: 6 Platoon, 'B' Company, 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, whose headquarters are in Brighton; and Headquarters 103rd Battalion, The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, whose headquarters are in Crawley.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to answer Question number 292151, on the defence research budget, tabled on 9 October 2009.

Bill Rammell: I replied to the hon. Member on 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 404W.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospital trusts did not meet the four-hour maximum wait target for accident and emergency in  (a) each,  (b) seven,  (c) six,  (d) five and  (e) four of the last eight quarters.

Mike O'Brien: Tables showing which hospital trusts did not meet the national standard for accident and emergency four-hour maximum waiting times in  (a) each,  (b) seven,  (c) six,  (d) five and  (e) four of the last eight quarters will be placed in the Library shortly.

Alcoholic Drinks/Drugs: Brighton and Hove

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to services for youths with alcohol or drug dependency in  (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and  (b) Hove constituency.

Gillian Merron: Funding is allocated by local drug partnership areas (coterminous with local authorities), not constituency. From 2010-11 funding for specialist substance misuse services for young people will be allocated using a new formula, the Child Welfare Index (CWI), to reflect more accurately the levels of need among under-18s. This mirrors a change to the formula for adult drug treatment funding in 2008-09 to ensure that money was directly linked to the provision of effective treatment. The overall young people's budget will increase from £24.7 million in 2009-10 to £25.4 million in 2010-11.
	The full formula comes into effect in 2011-12 but in 2010-11 it is being staged in order to give partnerships time to adapt and prevent disruption to the provision of services. So those partnerships that stand to lose will have their losses restricted to 25 per cent. of the full reduction, and those which stand to gain will have the increase capped. This process is reflected in the figures for Brighton and Hove local partnership in the following table.
	
		
			  Brighton and Hove local drug partnership funding allocations 
			   Funding allocations 
			 2009-10 theoretical allocation based on CWI formula (£) 132,890 
			 2009-10 actual allocation (£) 191,739 
			 Staged 2010-11 allocation (£) 177,027 
			 Difference between 2010-11 and current allocation (£) -14,712 
			 2010-11 allocation as proportion of current allocation (percentage) 92 
			 2011-12 allocation (£) 136,656 
			 Difference between 2011-12 and current allocation (£) -55,083 
			 2011-12 allocation as proportion of current allocation (percentage) 71 
		
	
	The cost of alcohol treatment is met through national health service mainstream expenditure in line with local needs and priorities, and data on NHS spend on alcohol treatment is not collected centrally.

Alcoholic Drinks/Drugs: Brighton and Hove

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 18 have received alcohol and drug dependency services in Hove constituency in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Young people's drug or alcohol misuse is part of a wider pattern of problematic behaviour, which is addressed by specialist services that are different from adult alcohol and drug dependency services. Very few of these young people are dependent, and interventions tend to centre on psychosocial counselling-based therapies, which address the underlying causes and the behavioural consequences of cannabis and alcohol (the most commonly misused substances among under-18s).
	The national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS) does not publish figures by constituency but by local drug partnership area. According to the NDTMS, in 2007-08, the most recent period for which figures are available, there were 125 under-18s in Brighton and Hove in contact with specialist substance misuse treatment services. Figures for 2008-09 will be published later this year.

Ambulance Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to collect statistics centrally on the number of ambulances responding to a 999 call without having a paramedic on board.

Mike O'Brien: The Government have no plans to collect this information centrally. It is for individual ambulance trusts to ensure that ambulances are staffed appropriately.

Ambulance Services: Vehicles

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the proportion of NHS ambulances which were manufactured in the UK.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not held centrally. Individual trusts determine locally how and where they purchase ambulance vehicles to meet operational requirements.

Anaemia

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the incidence of pernicious anaemia; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department does not itself compile any quantitative data on incidence of pernicious anaemia, as this condition is generally treated by general practitioners at primary care level. Some data are available from the General Practice Research Database, which contains longitudinal medical records from primary care practices accounting for approximately 5 per cent. of the United Kingdom population. On this basis, it is estimated that there were approximately 14,700 incident cases of pernicious anaemia in the UK in 2008.

Anaemia

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research into the merits of enabling patients diagnosed with pernicious anaemia to manage their conditions through self-injection of methyl cobalamine; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA) commissions research where there is a gap in the knowledge the NHS has about healthcare treatment and tests. Suggestions about research topics are always welcome and can be made to the HTA via its website at
	www.hta.ac.uk/suggest

Antibiotics

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for antibiotics were dispensed in each primary care trust area in  (a) 2001 and  (b) 2008.

Mike O'Brien: Information at primary care trust level is not available for 2001. Figures for 2008, taken from the Prescribing Analysis and Cost tool (PACT) system have been placed in the Library.

Burnley Hospital

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which categories of accidents and emergencies are admitted for treatment at Burnley general hospital.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.

Burns: Health Services

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on proposals for a regional super burns unit in the North West; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Since the recommendations of the National Burn Care Review were accepted as a national framework for local implementation, a number of representations have been made to the Department with regard to the proposals for the North of England. The details of these are available only at disproportionate cost. The most recent representation was made by a delegation of North West MPs-my right hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth), and my hon. Friends the Members for Halton (Derek Twigg), for St. Helens, North (Mr. Watts), for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs. Ellman), for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) and for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara)- to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, at a meeting on 24 June 2009.
	The North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA), as lead SHA, is currently reviewing the recommendations of the Northern Burn Care Review as part of the service change assurance process. On 11 November 2009 the North West SHA released a statement on the current position and a copy has been placed in the Library. We are aware of the strong feelings on Merseyside about the future of burns services. In any debate about the future of burns care, it is important that successful services are not destabilised. The North West Strategic Health Authority have given their view that there is no compelling evidence to make the case for change.

Burns: Health Services

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the review of burns services in the North of England has been in each year since 2003.

Gillian Merron: This information is not collected centrally.

Cannabis: Misuse

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospital admissions and  (b) deaths there were caused by the use of cannabis in (i) the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and (ii) all hospitals in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was poisoning by cannabis and the first secondary, diagnosis was accidental or intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics for Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and for England, 1997-98 to 2008-09 
			   Number of finished admission episodes 
			   Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  England 
			 1997-98 * 143 
			 1998-99 0 132 
			 1999-2000 0 146 
			 2000-01 0 112 
			 2001-02 0 138 
			 2002-03 0 129 
			 2003-04 * 187 
			 2004-05 0 162 
			 2005-06 0 157 
			 2006-07 0 82 
			 2007-08 0 92 
			 2008-09 0 123 
			  Notes:  1.  Patient Confidentiality  To protect patient confidentiality, suppression has been applied where the number was between one and five.  2.  ICD-10 Codes  The ICD-10 code t40.7 was used to provide data for poisoning by cannabis and ICD-10 codes X42 and X46 were used to provide data for accidental or intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics.  3.  Finished admission episodes  A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  4.  Primary diagnosis  The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.  5.  Secondary diagnosis  As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 secondary diagnosis fields in Hospital Episode Statistics that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.  6.  Assessing growth through time  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  7.  Data quality  HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths where drug poisoning was the underlying cause of death, and cannabis was mentioned on the death certificate, either alone or in combination with other substances for Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and for England, 1997 to 2008 
			   Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  England 
			   Cannabis mentioned alone  Cannabis mentioned with other substances  Cannabis mentioned alone  Cannabis mentioned with other substances 
			 1997 0 0 0 2 
			 1998 0 0 0 1 
			 1999 0 0 0 1 
			 2000 0 0 0 1 
			 2001 0 0 0 2 
			 2002 0 0 0 4 
			 2003 0 0 0 1 
			 2004 0 0 1 1 
			 2005 0 0 1 3 
			 2006 0 0 0 2 
			 2007 0 0 0 1 
			 2008 0 0 1 1 
			  Notes:  1.  Cause of death  Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD- 9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD- 10) from 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in the following table), and where cannabis was mentioned on the death certificate.  2.  Death registration  Information recorded at death registration on place of death is provided by the informant if the death is certified by a medical practitioner, or by the coroner if the death is certified by a coroner.  3. The term 'hospital' includes NHS, non-NHS and military hospitals.  4. Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.  5. Figures are not available for deaths which may be indirectly related to the misuse of drugs (e.g. HIV infection or transport accident), as the more immediate cause is generally selected as the underlying cause of death.  Source:  Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Description  ICD-9  ICD-10 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) 292, 304, 305.2-305.9 F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E850-E858 X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E950.0-E950.5 X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E962.0 X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent E980.0-E980.5 Y10-Y14

Care Homes: Standards

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of care homes in each region which do not meet national minimum standards of care.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that, when inspecting care homes against the national minimum standards (NMS), CQC rates their performance using a four point system:
	1-Standard not met with major shortfalls
	2-Standard not met with minor shortfalls
	3-Standard met
	4-Standard exceeded.
	There are two sets of NMS-for care homes for older people, which comprise 38 different standards and for care homes for younger adults, which comprise 43 standards. CQC will decide which set of NMS to inspect against depending on the age profile of residents of a home.
	Care homes are scored against each standard but they are not given an overall score so it is not possible to give information on the number of care homes that fail the standards. The following table shows the numbers of scores of 1 and 2 (i.e. instances where a standard was failed) for the year ending 31 March 2009-the latest available information-as a percentage of the total number of scores in each region (i.e. the total number of standards assessed across all care homes of each type in the region).
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  CQC region  Care homes for older people  Care homes for younger adults 
			 East Midlands 16 12 
			 Eastern 17 13 
			 London 15 13 
			 North East 15 11 
			 North West 14 13 
			 South East 14 12 
			 South West 14 12 
			 West Midlands 20 18 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 17 13 
			  Source: CQC database at 31 March 2009

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average frequency was of screening for recurrences of cervical cancer in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The cervical screening process stops at the point a woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer, when the local gynaecological multi-disciplinary team (MDT) assume responsibility for her care. The follow-up regimen for that particular woman, which may include cervical screening depending on the form of treatment received, is decided on by the clinical decisions of the MDT.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The amount spent on purchasing ministerial Christmas cards for 2008 (inclusive of VAT) was £2,701.37. This does not include postage costs which are not available due to some cards being included with other correspondence or being hand delivered.
	In December 2008, the Department spent £2,903.75 on Christmas trees and decorations.
	Under the Department's Code of Business Conduct, public money must not be used to fund occasions such as social gatherings, retirements or office parties.
	All expenditure incurred in the purchase of Christmas cards and decorations is incurred in accordance with the principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Information on what agencies spend on these items is not held centrally.

Contraceptives

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) total number of and  (b) net ingredient cost of each type of (i) contraceptive and (ii) contraceptive device dispensed in the community was in each primary care trust area in England in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: Information at primary care trust level is not available for further than five years back. The current data-set covers September 2004 to August 2009. Figures for this period, taken from the Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system, have been placed in the Library.

Dental Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answers of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 914-15W, on dental services, which individuals  (a) represented the working group and  (b) were interviewed in the case of each hospital; and in what format the notes of those meetings were recorded.

Ann Keen: The members of the working group who visited each hospital were:
	Royal Lancaster Infirmary Barry Cockcroft (Chief Dental Officer England) Peter Rubin (Chairman PMETB) and Rachel Noble (PMETB Secretariat);
	Great Western Swindon Barry Cockcroft Peter Rubin and Rachel Noble;
	Royal Sussex Brighton Barry Cockcroft Rajiv Anand (Oral and Maxillofacial Fellows in Training representative) and Jerry Read (Section Head Oral Health and Dental Education Department of Health);
	Sunderland Royal Infirmary Barry Cockcroft Ian Cumming (Deputy Chairman, PMETB) Ian Martin (Chairman of Council, British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) and Rachel Noble;
	The Royal London Barry Cockcroft Jerry Read and Rachel Noble; and
	Southern General Glasgow Aileen Keel (Deputy Chief Medical Officer Scotland and PMETB Observer) Ian Cumming and Rachel Noble.
	They met with clinicians and managers working in the oral and maxillofacial surgery units of these hospitals. Notes were taken in manuscript at the scene of the visits.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Phil Hope: The percentage and value of invoices paid within 10 days to commercial suppliers in September and October is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Percentage of invoices paid within 10 days to commercial suppliers  Total value of invoices paid within 10 days to commercial suppliers 
			 September 2009 97.98 85,282,220.07 
			 October 2009 96.66 99,419,847.02

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Phil Hope: The Department carried out an audit of its information assurance procedures in May 2009. This audit was guided by an independent external accreditor.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The ratings and energy bands for Departmental buildings are as follows:
	
		
			   2008 rating  2008 energy band  2009 rating  2009 energy band 
			 Skipton House 203 G 194 G 
			 Richmond House 139 F 146 F 
			 Wellington House 157 G 186 G 
			 Quarry House 107 E 101 E 
			 Hexagon House 593 G (1)- (1)- 
			 Vantage House 200 G 200 G 
			 Market Towers 163 G 200 G 
			 Premier House 289 G 276 G 
			 Lightfoot Street 79 D 80 D 
			 (1) = Pending.

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answers of 1 July 2008,  Official Report, column 862W, and 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1675W, on departmental freedom of information, if he will place in the Library a copy of the information provided on each topic in respect of which the request was  (a) agreed to and answered in full and  (b) agreed to and answered in part since April 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The following table provides a breakdown of the number of requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to the Department of Health since April 2009:  (a) requests agreed to and answered in full; and  (b) agreed to and answered in part since April 2009. A copy of the material provided in each case has been placed in the Library.
	
		
			  FOI requests to the Department of Health for information on abortions; reproductive health, contraception and euthanasia; requests agreed to and answered in full; and agreed to and answered in part since April 2009 
			   1 April to 5 November 2009 
			 Total FOI requests 8 
			 Agreed/answered in full 4 
			 Agreed/answered in part 4 
			 Refused 0 
			 Information Commissioner's Office appeals 1 
			 Successful appeals 0

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Phil Hope: Information on numbers of staff is shown in the table, and is based on for those staff for whom management of freedom of information requests comprises more than 50 per cent. of their substantive role:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of staff 
			 2005-06 9 
			 2006-07 8 
			 2007-08 7 
			 2008-09 (1)6 
			 2009-10 (2)10 
			 (1)( )8 from June 2008. (2 )11 from October 2009. 
		
	
	The information requested on expenditure could be provided only at disproportionate cost. An assessment of the cost of freedom of information within Government can be found in Frontier Economics 2006 report Independent Review of the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of this report has already been placed in the Library.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Phil Hope: The Department cannot provide the details requested without the cost involved being at a disproportionate level. Data come from disparate sources and in different formats, which increases the manual effort required to identify the expenses of individuals.
	During 2008-09, 41 departmental officers worked as press officers for all or part of the year in question. There is no statutory requirement to report the reimbursable expenses of officials who are not covered by the remuneration report. Departmental officials who claim business expenses do so in line with the published expenses guide. The rates are agreed with the departmental trade unions and are in line with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs's regulations.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of postal services for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Phil Hope: The percentage use of postal services for the Department is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Royal Mail  Other postal service providers 
			 2007 100 0 
			 2008 100 0 
			 January 2009 to July 2009 100 0 
			 July 2009 onwards 100 0 
		
	
	The percentage use of postal services for Purchasing and Supply Agency is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Royal Mail  Other postal service providers 
			 2007 100 0 
			 2008 100 0 
			 January 2009 to July 2009 100 0 
			 July 2009 onwards 100 0 
		
	
	The percentage use of postal services for the Medicines and Health Regulatory Authority is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Royal Mail  Other postal service providers 
			 2007 100 0 
			 2008 100 0 
			 January 2009 to July 2009 53 47 
			 July 2009 onwards 60 40

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Phil Hope: The Department and the Purchasing and Supply Agency have contracted with Royal Mail for the period 2007 to present for the provision of postal services.
	The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency have contracted for the provision of postal services as follows:
	2007-Royal Mail
	2008-Royal Mail
	2009-Royal Mail, Global Mailing.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies on procurement under tender because the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: Yes, this information is reported in the Department's resource accounts.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Phil Hope: The Department publishes all of its datasets which meet the definition of 'official statistics' set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the 'Code of Practice for Official Statistics' and the 'National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics'.
	The Department's official statistics published in the last year can be accessed on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/DH_077094
	and in addition can be accessed via the UK Statistics Authority Release Calendar at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/release-calendar/index.html
	The Department also holds a range of other quantitative information for management and other purposes some of which is made available to the public on request. Following the National Statistician's recent guidance, it will be preparing a Statement of Administrative Sources in line with the expectations of the Code of Practice on Official Statistics.

Disabled: Employment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Government's objectives of improving capacity to work amongst those with chronic debilitating conditions.

Andy Burnham: I met with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions recently and our discussion included what is available to support individuals with disabilities and health conditions, including Pathways to Work and the Condition Management programme. We discussed that good work leads to improved health outcomes and helps disabled people and those with health conditions live fulfilling and independent lives. Further details will be set out in the back to work White Paper. Our Departments are committed to working together to provide the most effective support for people with health conditions.

Drugs: Licensing

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what interventions  (a) have been assessed and  (b) are being assessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) through its (i) single technology appraisal and (ii) multiple technology appraisal process; and on what date (A) each such intervention was referred to NICE (B) NICE (1) commenced and (2) completed its appraisal of each intervention and (C) those interventions which received a licence were licensed by NICE.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested has been placed in the Library. The information shows technology appraisals published or referred since the introduction of the single technology appraisal (STA) process at the end of 2005. Prior to this point, the STA and multiple technology appraisal (MTA) distinction did not apply.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence does not license medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency are responsible for licensing new drugs and license extensions.

Drugs: Misuse

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions with a primary diagnosis of poisoning by  (a) class A,  (b) class B and  (c) class C drugs there were to (i) the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and (ii) all hospitals in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: This information is not collected centrally.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 18 in  (a) England,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) Leeds are on waiting lists to receive treatment for drug addiction.

Gillian Merron: Waiting time figures for young people aged under-18 for England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Leeds are presented in the following table.
	Waiting times for first specialist substance misuse treatment interventions(1) for young people 2007-08.
	(1) Specialist substance misuse treatment interventions for young people include alcohol interventions.
	
		
			   Less than 3 weeks (number )  Less than 3 weeks (percentage)  More than 3 weeks (number )  More than 3 weeks (percentage) 
			 England 19,340 93 1,374 7 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 1,718 97 57 3 
			 Leeds 45 94 3 6 
		
	
	Data are provided for 2007-08. Figures for young people accessing substance misuse services in 2008-09 will be published later in the year.
	'First Interventions' are defined as the date that the client was referred into the treatment system requiring a specialist substance misuse treatment intervention.
	Young people's drug or alcohol misuse will be part of a wider pattern of problematic behaviour, which specialist services seek to address. Very few of these young people are addicted or receive treatment for drug addiction. Instead, interventions for young people tend to centre on psychosocial counselling-based therapies, which attempt to address the underlying causes and the behavioural consequences of cannabis and alcohol misuse (the most commonly misused substances among under-18s).

E. Coli

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of e.coli infection was in each primary care trust area in  (a) 2001 and  (b) 2008.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally.

Eating Disorders

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed days on adult eating disorder units were recorded for patients under the age of 16 years in each quarter of the last three years.

Phil Hope: The data available centrally are for all bed use in adult mental health units and are not broken down to reflect use of adult eating disorder beds.

Exercise: Health Education

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff within his Department have responsibility in their jobs for the promotion of  (a) physical activity and  (b) smoking cessation.

Gillian Merron: There are eight full-time staff in the Physical Activity Programme team and three full-time staff in the Cross Government Obesity team who deal with promotion of physical activity in the central Department.
	There are in addition other programmes within the Department, which contribute towards promotion of the physical activity through their own policy areas such as Healthy Schools, Further Education, Children and Young People's Health Programme and Change4Life etc.
	The two full-time staff members are smoking cessation delivery managers in the central Department. The programme lead for supporting local tobacco control also contributes time to this work, but her overall responsibilities are for the promotion of local tobacco control.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of whether the practice of companies  (a) routinely refusing to make available to independent scientists the standardised samples that are required to conduct high quality research on genetically modified products on the market and  (b) insisting on the right to veto the publication of results, is (i) in line with the Government's Chief Scientist's guidance on sound science and (ii) in the interests of public confidence in the Chief Scientist's public statement that genetically modified food is safe to eat because there is no research which shows it to be harmful.

Gillian Merron: Genetically modified (GM) foods may not be marketed in the European Union unless they have been rigorously assessed for safety. These assessments are carried out by the European Food Safety Authority and products are authorised only if they are found not to present a risk to the consumer.
	There is a strong public interest in the publication of high quality research into GM food safety and the availability of authentic test materials and corresponding control materials are among the pre-requisites for such research to take place. Companies may choose to impose conditions on purchasers of their products and, in the case of some GM materials, certain limitations may be necessary to ensure compliance with the regulations that govern their use. Generally, however, it is in the best interests of the manufacturers if the scientific community is able to conduct independent research into these products.

Health Services: Lincolnshire

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical centres have opened in North East Lincolnshire since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the numbers of new general practitioner (GP) surgeries opened is not collected centrally.
	However, Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority has confirmed that North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), as part of its 10-year estates strategy to transform local primary care premises launched in 2002, has since 2004 delivered nine major developments comprising eight new primary care/medical centres, and an extension to an existing practice. Work is continuing to develop a further four schemes.
	This includes a new GP-led health centre opened as part of the Government's policy to have a new GP-led health centre in every PCT, open from 8 am to 8 pm, 365 days a year, which patients can attend on a walk-in basis or by appointment. Patients can register with the centres if they find this convenient or use the service while remaining registered at their existing practice.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS through the European Health Insurance Card reclaimed from each other EU member state in each of the last seven calendar years.

Gillian Merron: This information is not available. Up until October 2009, costs incurred by the NHS for care provided to temporary visitors from other European economic area (EEA) member states were only reclaimed through bilateral arrangements. Since October 2009, the Department has had the necessary infrastructure in place to allow the UK to reclaim actual costs from other EEA member states whose citizens present their European Health Insurance Card when obtaining necessary healthcare from the NHS.

Hospital Beds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds were occupied for how many nights by patients ready for discharge in the last five financial years.

Phil Hope: Delayed transfers of care are collected to support the Community Care Act 2003. When we first collected this it was for delays from acute beds only. This was amended to include non-acute beds. This was in December 2006.
	These data are used for reimbursement between the national health service and social care for delayed discharges.
	The table shows the split by acute and non acute beds. Delayed discharges from acute beds has fallen almost every year. For non acute beds data of 2006-07 (460,000) is not for a full year. Delayed discharges from non acute beds fell from 2007-08 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Delayed transfers of care-SitReps 
			   Acute  Non-acute 
			 2004-05 860,930 - 
			 2005-06 777,767 - 
			 2006-07 770,501 461,586 
			 2007-08 690,333 1,179,366 
			 2008-09 691,572 972,694

Hospital Wards: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the provision of single sex wards at  (a) Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals,  (b) Northwick Park Hospital and  (c) the Royal Free Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for local national health service organisations to plan, develop and improve services for local people.
	The then Secretary of State for Health (Alan Johnson) announced on 28 January 2009, the Department's commitment to all but eliminate mixed-sex accommodation. This is being taken forward by means of the Department's Delivering Single Sex Accommodation programme of activities.
	Every patient has the right to receive high quality care that is safe, effective and respects their privacy and dignity. The NHS is committed to providing every patient with same-sex accommodation, because it helps to safeguard their privacy and dignity when they are often at their most vulnerable. This means providing a same-sex sleeping area, bathroom and toilet facilities.
	As part of the programme, a £100 million Privacy and Dignity Fund was distributed via strategic health authorities (SHAs) to support local trust proposals.
	London SHA distributed:
	£1,435,932 to Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals for 14 schemes that have all now been completed;
	£122,000 to Northwick Park hospital (North West London hospital NHS trust) for two schemes that have all now been completed; and
	£109,800 to Royal Free hospital for three schemes that have all now been completed.
	The £100 million Privacy and Dignity Fund to support improvements has commenced on local trust proposals. There are currently 1,157 schemes in total across more than 200 trusts and the Department is monitoring the schedules of work. The schemes include over 1,200 education and training programmes to assist staff in providing a better patient experience of care. Over 2,300 new or refurbished toilets and bathrooms, for easier patient access and some 10,800 extra modesty curtains to improve patient privacy.
	More than 75 per cent. of the schemes are now complete with the number expected to rise to 96 per cent. by the end of December, a small number of schemes will continue beyond this date due to the nature and complexities of the work.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital patients acquired infections other than MRSA or  Clostridium difficile during a stay in hospital in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Hospitals: Private Finance Initiative

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what private finance initiative hospital projects are due to be approved in the next  (a) month,  (b) six months and  (c) 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: Private finance initiative (PFI) schemes have to progress through a business case approvals process before they can sign contracts and begin construction. Approvals take place at the key points of a schemes development under a system of delegated authority to ensure they are affordable and delivering value for money at all times. In terms of business case approvals expected over the next 12 months, the position is as follows, starting with the most advanced scheme:
	North Bristol NHS Trust is expected to submit the final confirming business case (for final contract signature) for its £484 million scheme to the Department and Treasury for approval in 2010;
	The Department and Treasury is planning to announce a decision on the approval of the outline business case for the £204 million Papworth Hospitals NHS Foundation PFI scheme shortly;
	Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust has submitted the outline business case for its £477 million PFI scheme to the Department after approval by the strategic health authority. It is too early to say when the Department and subsequent Treasury approvals will be completed; and
	The outline business case for the £235 million PFI scheme for Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust has recently been approved by the strategic health authority and is expected to be formally submitted to the Department shortly. Again, it is too early to say when the Department and subsequent Treasury approvals will be completed.
	There are no other health sector PFI projects that are in an advanced stage of development.

Hospitals: Private Finance Initiative

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policy on private finance initiative projects.

Mike O'Brien: To be approved, the private finance initiative (PFI) option for every national health service capital investment project must demonstrate in a business case that it meets the service requirements of the procuring NHS body (e.g. an NHS trust); is affordable to that body and the local health economy as a whole; and is value for money when compared to the public capital funded alternative (known as the public sector comparator (PSC)). Under this Government, 87 PFI schemes worth nearly £7 billion have become operational with a further 14 worth nearly £4 billion under construction.

Hospitals: Standards

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome of the recent inspection of Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust by the Health and Safety Executive was; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. The information on the recent inspection of Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS trust is held by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
	All national health service organisations have a duty to comply with health and safety legislation and are subject to inspection by the HSE.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for a hospital appointment in each primary care trust in Tamworth constituency was in each year since 1995.

Mike O'Brien: This information has been supplied to the hon. Member.

In Vitro Fertilisation: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient provision of in-vitro fertilisation treatment on the NHS in Leeds.

Gillian Merron: The provision of fertility treatment by primary care trusts (PCTs) is determined at a local level. The Government support the clinical guideline on the assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and have made it clear that PCTs are expected to move towards full implementation of the guideline. The Yorkshire and Humber Specialised Commissioning Group is currently carrying out a consultation regarding the funding of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), which the hon. Member may wish to contribute to.
	This year the Department published a commissioning aid, produced by the expert group on commissioning national health service infertility provision, to help PCTs assess need locally, learn about infertility treatment techniques and monitor uptake of services. The Department has also funded the leading fertility patient support organisation, Infertility Network UK, to produce and publish standardised access criteria for fertility services. Both the commissioning aid and a link to the access criteria can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Fertility/index.htm
	together with the results of regular monitoring of NHS provision of IVF.
	The Department continues to fund Infertility Network UK to work directly with PCTs to advise on the particular needs of patients with fertility problems. The Department is also developing a national tariff for NHS fertility services, to help more treatment to be offered at a standardised cost in more locations.

Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's agencies which are required to introduce a duty to involve citizens in local decision-making and service provision under section 138 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 have established a mechanism for doing so.

Phil Hope: Neither of the Department's agencies is required to introduce a duty to involve citizens in local decision-making and service provision under section 138 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

Marmot Review

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects Sir Michael Marmot's review of health inequalities to be published.

Gillian Merron: Professor Sir Michael Marmot's post 2010 strategic review of health inequalities will be published in the early part of 2010.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vaccinations against meningitis were made in 2008-09; how many people refused a vaccination in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Meningitis can be caused by a number of different infections, some of which are vaccine-preventable. The vaccine-preventable diseases that can cause meningitis and the relevant vaccines are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Disease  Number of doses of vaccine and age given  Vaccine(s) used 
			 Meningitis C (MenC) Two doses in the first year of life and one dose in the second year of life Meningitis C vaccine and Combined Hib/MenC vaccine 
			 Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) Three doses in the first year of life and one dose in the second year of life Combined DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine and Combined Hib/MenC vaccine 
			 Pneumococcal Two doses in the first year of life and one dose in the second year of life Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) 
			 Mumps One dose in the second year of life and one dose in the fourth year of life Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) 
			 Tuberculosis One dose to selected at risk groups Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine (BCG) 
		
	
	Vaccine coverage data for the financial year April 2008 to March 2009, broken down to SHA and PCT level, are published as part of the NHS immunisation statistics at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/immstats2008-2009
	A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The Department does not collect data on the number of vaccines refused.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds his Department  (a) spent on meningitis vaccination development in 2008-09 and  (b) plans to spend on meningitis vaccination development in 2009-10.

Gillian Merron: Departmentally funded research on meningitis vaccine development is undertaken by the Health Protection Agency. The Agency's total expenditure on the topic in 2008-09 was £1.7 million. An expenditure figure for 2009-10 is not yet available.

Muscular Dystrophy

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include in the forthcoming Health White Paper adoption of the Standards of Care for People Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy recently agreed internationally; and if he will make it his policy that new genomic medicines for Duchenne are trialled and monitored via a network of Duchenne centres of excellence.

Ann Keen: Work on a formal response to the recommendations in the report of the Lords Science and Technology select committee inquiry into genomic medicine will be published later in the year.
	It is for clinicians to locally determine the appropriate standards of care in line with published guidelines. However, the clinical champions network that is being established will be able to promote standards of care.
	Arrangements for clinical trials of new therapies for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are primarily the responsibility of the biomedical and pharmaceutical companies concerned. The National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network provides a health service infrastructure to support clinical trials and other well-designed studies funded by both commercial and non-commercial organisations.
	The Government have a proud record of encouraging and supporting the development of genetic technologies, both in research and their application in the wider national health service. Through focusing on patient-centred provision of effective health care, the Department will continue to work closely with, patients, stakeholders and partners to achieve this aim.

NHS Counter Fraud Service

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the budget of the NHS Counter Fraud Service was in each of the last five financial years;
	(2)  how many staff were assigned to the NHS Counter Fraud Service in each of the last five financial years;
	(3)  how much has been recovered by the NHS Counter Fraud Service in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many cases were investigated by the NHS Counter Fraud Service in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many people were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of charges relating to fraud against the NHS in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 NHS Counter Fraud Service budget (£ million) 13.893 11.521 11.620 10.491 10.298 
			 Staff in post 289 246 197 170 195 
			 Value of financial recoveries (£) 7,111,243 26,948,619 2,035,814 6,046,917 2,000,420 
			 Number of fraud investigations 305 272 409 351 415 
			 Number of prosecutions 60 71 65 60 72 
			 Number of convictions 56 68 (1)62 57 69 
			 (1 )This figure corrects the information given in the written answer to the hon. Member for North Norfolk on 2 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1124W.

NHS: Computer Software

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the average number of hours per week that users of the Lorenzo software system are logged in at  (a) Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust,  (b) Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,  (c) University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust,  (d) Hereford Hospitals Trust and  (e) South Birmingham Primary Care Trust.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Drugs

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 735W, on NHS: drugs, about which pharmaceutical products his Department has received reports of supply problems; and what the nature is of each supply problem reported to his Department.

Mike O'Brien: Shortages occur for a number of reasons, including manufacturing or regulatory problems, and at any one time the Department will be aware of a number of shortages. We have received reports about a number of medicines that are reportedly subject to export due to the decline in the value of the £ sterling. We also receive reports of medicines subject to supply problems that may be attributed to such exports. The drugs affected by shortages change with time. Any list of such drugs will not be an accurate or complete list.

NHS: Private Sector

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) NHS providers which had not provided assurance to the NHS Chief Executive by 30 September 2009 that the NHS guidance of 23 March 2009 on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care was being followed, as requested in the NHS Chief Executive's letter of 30 July 2009, gateway reference 12199; if he will place in the Library a copy of all responses received to the Chief Executive's letter; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: All strategic health authorities (SHAs) have submitted initial responses to the letter of 30 July 2009 from Lyn Simpson, the director of NHS Operations, gateway reference 12199. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library. All SHAs have assurance processes under way to ensure that the issues outlined in the letter are addressed. The Department is working with SHAs to discuss the information received and the progress of action plans so far.
	In the new year, when these discussions will have concluded, I will also place responses for each individual SHA in the Library.

NHS: Standards

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the National Quality Board has met to discuss the discontinuance of NHS targets in each of the last six months; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the relevant minutes of each such meeting.

Ann Keen: The National Quality Board met for the first time in March 2009. There have been three subsequent meetings. The National Quality Board has not discussed the removal of NHS targets at any of the meetings. The minutes of all board meetings are published on the Department of Health's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Highqualitycareforall/NationalQualityBoard/index.htm

Nutrition

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to ensure that food and drink companies are able to promote the nutritional benefits of their products after the 19 January 2010 deadline for compliance with the nutrition claims annex under the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation EC 1924/2006.

Gillian Merron: The nutrition claims annex already lists a range of nutrition claims such as 'low saturated fat', 'low salt', 'high fibre' that may be made on food products meeting the associated criteria. The European Commission has circulated draft proposals which would amend some of the existing claims and add new claims (for example 'no added salt' and 'now contains X % less salt/fat/saturated fat') to the list.
	With the 19 January deadline in mind, the Commission's aim is that these amendments to the annex should be agreed as soon as possible. The Food Standards Agency, on behalf of the Government, is actively engaged in discussing these amendments with other European Union member states.

Nutrition: Carers

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) information and  (b) guidance his Department produces to carers on supporting the nutritional needs of those for whom they care.

Phil Hope: A wide range of information and guidance can also be accessed through the NHS Choices information service, www.nhs.uk, which includes a specific section for carers. 'Carers Direct' provides carers with information that allows them to get the services and support they need, including advice on healthy eating. The site also includes links to interactive tools on healthy eating self-assessments for all lifestyles.
	The Department has also published the Nutrition Action Plan: Improving Nutritional Care, on 30 October 2007. This outlines how nutritional care and hydration can be improved and suggests five key priority areas through which managers and staff working in health and social care can address this. The key priorities for action are to:
	raise awareness of the link between nutrition and good health;
	ensure that accessible guidance is available across all sectors;
	encourage nutritional screening for all people using health and social care services;
	encourage provision and access to relevant training on the importance of nutrition for good health; and
	clarify standards and strengthen inspection and regulation.
	This information is contained in the Nutrition Action Plan: Improving Nutritional Care, which has been placed in the Library.

Oesophagus Cancer

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) oncologists and  (b) trainee oncologists specialising in oesophageal cancer there are in each region.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.
	Specialist oesophageal cancer oncologists are not separately identified within the NHS workforce census.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients who live in England have received medical  (a) treatment and  (b) consultation in Wales in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not held in the Department.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients who live in Wales have received medical  (a) treatment and  (b) consultation in England in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation because the information will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member when I have the information.

Palliative Care: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2009,  Official Report, column 584W, on palliative care: finance, how the £40 million has been disbursed; and how much each hospice received.

Phil Hope: The 2010-11 £40 million capital budget for hospices has not yet been disbursed. Hospices are currently preparing applications for funding from the budget. The deadline for applications to Help the Hospices, which is managing the programme on behalf of the Department of Health, is, 8 January 2010. Funding will be disbursed in 2010-11 and information on which hospices have received funding will be published in due course.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spent on healthcare in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is a matter for Peterborough and Stamford hospitals NHS foundation trust. We have written to Mr. Nigel Hards, chair of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, informing him of the hon. Gentleman's inquiries. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were in Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The following table shows a count of finished consultant episodes(1) at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from 2001-02 to 2008-09.(2)
	
		
			   Finished consultant episodes 
			 2008-09 91,782 
			 2007-08 88,626 
			 2006-07 79,386 
			 2005-06 79,964 
			 2004-05 80,195 
			 2003-04 77,501 
			 2002-03 72,495 
			 2001-02 66,596 
			 (1) Finished consultant Episode (FCE) A FCE is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the national health service have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Princess Diana Hospital Grimsby: Manpower

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses were employed at the Princess Diana Hospital in Grimsby (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The number of national health service staff in the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as at 30 September each year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 National health service hospital and community health services 
			  Headcount 
			   1997  2008 
			 Medical and dental staff 350 489 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,664 1,826 
			  Notes: 1. In 2002, North East Lincolnshire NHS Trust and Scunthorpe and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust merged to form Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust. Figures for 1997 are an aggregate of these two predecessor organisations. 2. Data are not available at an individual hospital level on the work force census. The Princess Diana Hospital in Grimsby is part of the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 3. Data Quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

Rheumatology: East Midlands

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average waiting times were for rheumatoid arthritis patients for follow-up consultations with a rheumatology specialist in  (a) North West Leicestershire constituency and  (b) the East Midlands in each year since 2001.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect waiting times data for follow-up consultations at specialty level.
	Data published by the Department, Department of Health Monthly Activity Return (MAR) and Quarterly Activity Return (QAR), looking on an all-speciality basis show that the ratio of subsequent attendance (follow-up) to first out-patient appointment has remained broadly stable over the last three years at around two (subsequent attendances) to one (first out-patient appointment).

Rheumatology: East Midlands

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access of rheumatoid arthritis patients to specialist multi-disciplinary teams in  (a) North West Leicestershire and  (b) the East Midlands;
	(2)  what recent assessment has been made of the quality and consistency of  (a) ongoing care and  (b) specialist care for rheumatoid arthritis patients in (i) North West Leicestershire constituency and (ii) the East Midlands.

Ann Keen: The Department has not made any specific assessment of access to or quality of care services for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
	It is the responsibility of primary care trusts as commissioners of healthcare services to ensure that their populations have access to the services that they require.
	The Department has published a good practice commissioning pathway for inflammatory arthritis. All 18 weeks commissioning pathways provide information to illustrate what services should be commissioned and provided in different levels of care.

Skin Piercing

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of banning ear and body piercing for under 16 year olds without parental consent; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Ear and body piercing for cosmetic purposes are lawful and there is no statutory minimum age of consent. Minors are able to give valid consent if they are capable of understanding the nature of the act to be done.
	There are no current plans to introduce legislation to make body piercing of minors a criminal offence, as introducing a minimum age of consent might result in children piercing themselves or each other in an unhygienic or unsafe manner or going to disreputable businesses.
	Guidance on issues relating to the age of consent for cosmetic piercing is contained in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Local Authority Circular (LAC) 76/2: Enforcement of Skin Piercing Activities. This guidance recommends that businesses are advised to adopt reasonable age restrictions and involve parents where appropriate. The guidance is available on the HSE website at:
	www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/76-2.htm
	A copy has been placed in the Library.

Smoking: Death

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of smoking-related deaths.

Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to reducing the number of smoking-related deaths. Our comprehensive tobacco control strategy introduced in 1998. In England there are around 2.4 million fewer smokers, with smoking prevalence down from 28 per cent. in 1998 to 21 per cent. in 2007.
	The existing six-strand tobacco strategy tackles smoking and the effects of smoke on other people. Our achievements over the past decade include:
	comprehensively banning advertising of tobacco in print, on billboard and on the internet in 2003; introducing Smokefree legislation that made all enclosed public places and workplaces smokefree from 1 July 2007 to protect people from the harm caused by exposure to second-hand smoke; raising the age of sale of tobacco from 16 to 18-years-old in October 2008; introducing hard-hitting pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets in 2008; providing free NHS Stop Smoking Services in all areas across the country for the last 10 years, resulting in over four million quit dates being set and 70,000 lives being saved over the 10-year period.
	In addition the Health Bill, which has just completed its stages in both Houses, includes provisions to remove tobacco displays from shops and prohibit the sale of tobacco from vending machines, primarily to reduce uptake of smoking by young people.
	Smoking still kills more than 80,000 people in England each year, which is why we are to developing a new tobacco control strategy. The new strategy follows on from a successful public consultation-'Consultation on the Future of Tobacco control', which received nearly 100,000 responses. The new strategy will be published by the end of this year.

Smoking: Health Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how the NHS Stop Smoking Service records people who after stopping smoking through use of the service subsequently start smoking again and are referred back to the service;
	(2)  what records are kept by the NHS Stop Smoking Service of the proportion of those recorded as giving up smoking who  (a) remain non-smokers and  (b) start smoking again;
	(3)  what checks his Department carries out on the accuracy of statistical records kept by the NHS Stop Smoking Service.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is not available centrally.
	The provision of free national health service stop smoking services across England for the last 10 years has resulted in over 4 million quit dates being set and 70,000 lives being saved over the 10 year period.
	Records of quit attempts are collected and managed at local level by the NHS Stop Smoking Service. NHS Stop Smoking Services: Service and monitoring Guidance 2009-10 gives advice on client relationships and how best to draw on experiences from previous quit attempts. The guidance also contains clear recommendations regarding biochemical validation (carbon monoxide monitoring) of clients who report having stopped smoking at the four week point.
	A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library.

Swine Flu: Vaccination

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to assess whether the target groups for swine influenza vaccine received the vaccine;
	(2)  what instructions have been given by his Department to primary care trusts on the distribution of swine influenza vaccine.

Gillian Merron: The director of NHS Flu Resilience wrote to primary care trust (PCT) chief executives on 16 September, 15 October and 3 November 2009 setting out the planning and delivery expectations for local delivery of the swine flu vaccination programme. In addition, the Chief Medical Officer wrote to the NHS on 15 October 2009 giving more detail around how the vaccination programme would roll out. The letters have been placed in the Library.
	PCT progress in leading the local delivery of the vaccination programme is closely overseen by strategic health authority (SHA) pandemic-flu leads. These SHA leads meet on a regular basis with departmental officials to review and resolve any issues that have arisen. Data are being collected about uptake of vaccination in the priority high risk groups and NHS staff.

Swine Flu: Vaccination

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reasons the administration of the swine influenza vaccination to priority groups was delayed;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that all general practitioner surgeries use the same list of priority groups to be offered the swine influenza vaccine;
	(3)  for what reasons non-frontline medical staff are being offered the swine influenza vaccine ahead of stated priority groups;
	(4)  for what reasons a three-week period must elapse between the delivery of each batch of the swine influenza vaccine to a general practitioner surgery.

Gillian Merron: There has been no delay to the swine flu vaccination programme. The speed of distribution of vaccine to the national health service has been governed by the rate of deliveries of licensed vaccine from the manufacturer.
	Initial supplies of vaccine reached NHS trusts on 21 October and primary care trusts on 26 October, in order to vaccinate frontline health care workers and in-patients in the priority at risk groups.
	Distribution of vaccine to general practitioner practices has been carried out over a three week period. This has been governed by the rate at which we have received deliveries from the vaccine manufacturers.
	The priority groups for vaccination, including frontline health and social care workers, were identified in the letter from the chief medical officer dated 13 August a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, and this has been reiterated in subsequent communications to NHS staff. The implementation of this work is the responsibility of local NHS organisations.
	Local decisions about which staff are providing frontline healthcare are being made on a pragmatic basis to ensure that staff are able to effectively protect themselves, their patients and their colleagues.

Tobacco: Advertising

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect on retailers of the prohibitions on tobacco advertising.

Gillian Merron: The Department is in close contact with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the subject of tobacco advertising; paying particular attention to any impact which regulation may have on retailers and others.
	The reduction in the prevalence of tobacco advertising has contributed to the declining prevalence of smoking and to the protection of young people from campaigns aimed at recruiting new smokers. This progress has been achieved without any significant adverse impact on retailers.

Tobacco: Young People

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the merits of making it an offence for a young person aged under 18 years to attempt to buy cigarettes and tobacco for the purposes of preventing such behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Protecting young people from smoking was a key theme of the 2008 Consultation on the Future of Tobacco Control and will be one of the overarching goals of the new tobacco control strategy that will be published by the end of this year.
	The Government believe that reducing the availability of tobacco through the enforcement of existing legislation, while using supportive means to prevent young people taking up smoking, is preferable to introducing new legislation which would criminalise youth. In addition to the existing legislation, the Health Bill which has just completed its stages in both Houses, introduces provisions to remove tobacco displays from shops and prohibit the sale of tobacco from vending machines, primarily to reduce uptake of smoking by young people.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many departmental trade union side officers are employed by his Department; and how many full-time equivalent staff members exclusively undertake union activities.

Phil Hope: The Department formally recognises three trade unions:
	Public and Commercial Services union (PCS);
	FDA; and
	Prospect.
	Four union officials (3.2 whole-time equivalents) are employed exclusively on union duties in the Department.
	Currently there are three full-time elected roles for the PCS, each exclusively undertaking union activities, but totalling 2.6 whole time equivalents. Prospect has one official working part-time (0.6 whole time equivalent) working exclusively on union activities. The FDA official does not work exclusively on union duties and is employed by one of the Department's policy directorates.
	The unions also collectively elect two posts in the Departmental Trade Union Side team (1.6 whole-time equivalents).

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's departmental trade union side officers agreement.

Phil Hope: A copy of the Department's Facility Agreement with our three recognised unions has been placed in the Library.

Trade Unions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes from his policy meeting with the Trades Union Congress and Unite of 10 September 2009.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health met with trade union representatives on 10 September 2009 for a discussion under Chatham House rules, and as such will be unable to release the minutes of the meeting.

Trade Unions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has met trade union representatives since June 2009.

Ann Keen: Our records show that the Secretary of State for Health has met with trade union representatives seven times since June 2009.

Transplant Surgery: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from Mid Bedfordshire constituency have had transplant surgery in the UK since  (a) January 2009 and  (b) August 2009.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.

Urgent Care Centres

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which urgent care centres are  (a) nurse-,  (b) doctor- and  (c) consultant-led; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Wheelchairs: Young People

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has issued to primary care trusts on their provision of insurance cover for the wheelchairs and mobility scooters they supply to younger people with disabilities.

Ann Keen: The Department has not issued any such guidance. However, it is standard practice in national health service procurement to require suppliers to have adequate product and public liability insurance cover in place.

Wheelchairs: Young People

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is in each primary care trust for those under the age of 18 years for the provision of a wheelchair; and whether there are any arrangements for their provision by a third party in each trust.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for wheelchairs for children. It is for each primary care trust to assess local needs and allocate funding accordingly. They are best placed to determine which type of wheelchair is provided, after detailed clinical consultations and patient evaluation.

CABINET OFFICE

10 Downing Street: Gift Shop

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many sales there have been of each stock item in the Downing Street gift shop in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Businesses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses have started in  (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Businesses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses there were in  (a) Vale of Clwyd and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Census

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, column 55WS, on the draft Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, 
	(1)  which Minister approved the wording and proposed questions in the draft Order for the 2011 Census;
	(2)  whether a privacy impact assessment has been prepared in relation to the proposed questions to be asked in the 2011 Census;
	(3)  whether she plans to publish a privacy impact assessment for the 2011 Census;
	(4)  what her most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the 2011 Census; and in which years such expenditure is expected to be incurred;
	(5)  whether the results of the 2011 Census rehearsal that took place in October 2009 will be published;
	(6)  what maximum fine may be imposed on a householder for not answering, in whole or in part, the 2011 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking
	i) which Cabinet Office Minister approved the wording and proposed questions in the draft Order for the 2011 Census; (299249)
	ii) whether a privacy impact assessment has been prepared in relation to the proposed questions to be asked in the 2011 Census; (299406)
	iii) when the privacy impact assessment for the 2011 Census will be published; (299462)
	iv) what the most recent estimated total cost of the 2011 Census to the public purse is; and in which years the expenditure will be incurred; (299448)
	v) whether the results of the 2011 Census rehearsal that took place in October 2009 will be published; (299479)
	vi) what maximum fine may be imposed on a householder for not answering, in whole or in part, the 2011 Census. (299482)
	i) The proposed questions in the Draft Census Order (England and Wales) 2009 have been created independently from Ministers by the Office for National Statistics following extensive consultation. The wording of the Draft Census Order was subsequently approved by Angela E. Smith, Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, and by Welsh Ministers in the Welsh Assembly, prior to the Order being laid in Parliament. The Domestic Affairs Committee was informed.
	ii and iii) Privacy considerations have been integral in determining the recommended questions. A privacy impact assessment has been prepared and is due to be published on 20 November on the census website.
	iv) the most recent estimated total cost of the 2011 Census in England and Wales is £482 million. This covers the period 2005-2016. The following table gives a breakdown by year.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 1.9 
			 2005-06 3.7 
			 2006-07 6.5 
			 2007-08 10.4 
			 2008-09 45.4 
			 2009-10 44.7 
			 2010-11 158.6 
			 2011-12 179.3 
			 2012-13 16.7 
			 2013-14 8.2 
			 2014-15 4.8 
			 2015-16 1.7 
			 Total 482.0 
		
	
	Provision of £450 million has been made up to the period 2011-2012. Provision for later years will be subject to future spending reviews and will cover the final stages of data and output processing, dissemination and a number of subsequent output services and releases.
	The cost and financial control of the 2011 Census was outlined in the White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow which was published in December 2008
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/legislation/index.html
	v) The main aims of the rehearsal which is being undertaken in areas within Lancaster, Isle of Anglesey and Newham were to:
	prove the field procedures
	prove the effective management of the rehearsal operation
	prove the key field supporting systems
	prove the recruitment, training and payment of field staff
	prove that an address register of sufficient quality can be delivered
	prove local authority and community liaison
	rehearse the integration of systems and subsequent data processing
	test the census communications campaign.
	There are no plans to release statistical output from the rehearsal but an evaluation report will be published in spring 2010.
	vi) The penalty for non-completion of a census return is specified in Section 8 (1) of the Census Act 1920 which states a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. The standard scale is that set out in the Criminal Justice Act and is currently a maximum of £1,000. The imposition and amount of the fine is at the discretion of the Magistrate within the limits of the standard scale under the Criminal Justice Act.

Census

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what directions Ministers have given to the UK Statistics Authority on the 2011 Census under section 2 of the Census Act 1920, as amended.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Charities

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many charities were removed from the Charity Commission's register for  (a) ceasing to exist or operate due to merger, incorporation or transfer of funds,  (b) ceasing to exist or operate for other reasons,  (c) voluntary removal below the minimum threshold and  (d) duplicate registrations and other corrections in each financial year since 1997-98.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Nick Allaway, dated 10 November 2009:
	As Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, Andrew Hind has been asked to answer your written question regarding removals from the Register of Charities. As the Executive Director with responsibility for this area of our work, I am responding in his absence. You asked how many charities were removed from the Charity Commission's Register for (a) ceasing to exist or operate due to merger, incorporation or transfer of funds, (b) ceasing to exist or operate for other reasons, (c) voluntary removal below the minimum threshold and (d) duplicate registrations and other corrections in each financial year since 1997-98.
	The table below sets out the number of charities which were removed from the Register, in each financial year, since 1997-1998 with the reasons recorded for their removal.
	
		
			  Reason for removal  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Total 
			 Ceased to exist or operate due to merger, incorporation or transfer of funds 915 1,126 1,252 1,068 1,444 1,179 1,430 1,602 1,592 1,725 1,436 1,584 16,353 
			 Ceased to exist or operate for other reasons 4,304 3,300 7,371 4,928 3,637 3,214 3,654 3,842 3,344 2,691 3,270 5,182 48,737 
			 Voluntary removal of charities below the minimum registration threshold 42 69 67 29 29 29 31 44 28 8 245 616 1,237 
			 Duplicate registrations and other corrections 219 82 76 76 85 42 62 81 174 152 122 41 1,212 
			 Total 5,480 4,577 8,766 6,101 5,195 4,464 5,177 5,569 5,138 4,576 5,073 7,423 67,539 
		
	
	The removal figures for 2008-09 show an increase over previous years as a result of our work to improve the accuracy of the Register of Charities. A key aspect of our current strategy is the prompt removal of charities that are inactive and with which we can no longer establish contact, and this is reflected in the rising number of charities categorised above as Ceased to exist or operate for other reasons. In addition, a number of charities have voluntarily been removed from the Register recently because they fall under the £5,000 registration threshold. Smaller charities are not required to register with us; the threshold for registration was an annual income of £1,000 until April 2007 when this threshold was increased to £5,000. Charities whose income now falls under this threshold are entitled to request voluntary removal from the Register, and as one part of our partnership work with umbrella bodies, a number of charities have requested voluntary removal from the Register over the past few months.
	I hope this is helpful.

Charities: Government Assistance

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments her Department has made to charities to tackle socio-economic disadvantage and promote social inclusion in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Charities: Schools

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the policy of the Charity Commission is on undertaking investigations of whether schools with charitable status are promoting the public benefit; and what statutory provisions govern such Charity Commission investigations.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Charity Commission: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time equivalent staff were recruited by the Charity Commission in each year since 1996-97.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Nick Allaway, dated 11 November, 2009:
	In the absence of the Chief Executive, Andrew Hind, and as the Executive Director with responsibility for this area of our work, I have been asked to respond to your written question regarding the number of full-time equivalents recruited to the Charity Commission since 1996.
	In the table below, I set out the number of staff recruited in each year since 1998/99. The figures in the table include all staff recruited on either a casual, fixed-term or permanent basis. For clarity, I have also included a column to indicate how many were recruited on a permanent basis in each year and a final figure that represents the Commission's average staffing levels (again, on a full-time equivalent basis), to aid context.
	Comparable figures for 1996/97 and 1997/98 are not possible to break down but the total numbers recruited in the calendar years 1996, 1997 and 1998 were 87, 56 and 47 respectively.
	
		
			  Recruitment year  Total recruited  Of which on a permanent basis  Average FTE staffing 
			 1998-99 74.5 34 495 
			 1999-2000 118.8 57.4 533 
			 2000-01 106.4 58.8 551 
			 2001-02 91.6 50.8 562 
			 2002-03 89 67.8 631 
			 2003-04 61.6 39 600 
			 2004-05 83.5 44.3 545 
			 2005-06 28.6 15.9 517 
			 2006-07 64.4 50.7 490 
			 2007-08 37 27 471 
			 2008-09 82.9 63.8 443 
		
	
	The two recent spikes in recruitment (in 2006/07 and 2008/09) were in connection with our modernisation, restructuring and efficiency programmes, which were necessitated by our 2005/06 Strategic Review and the 2007 Spending Review settlement.
	I hope this is helpful and if you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Charity Commission: Surveillance

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1081W, on the Charity Commission: surveillance, 
	(1)  what the nature of the surveillance undertaken in each of the eight cases since 2004 was; and whether any prosecutions were brought;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner's inspection reports of the Charity Commission that are held by the Commission;
	(3)  whether the Charity Commission has  (a) made and  (b) rejected any requests for authorisations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for surveillance of schools with charitable status.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Nick Allaway, dated 11 November 2009:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, Andrew Hind has been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on the Commission's use of its powers in connection with Surveillance using of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). Andrew is currently away so I am responding in his absence.
	It may assist if I provide some background information on the Commission's use of RIPA to date: The Commission has not made use of RIPA in connection with Directed Surveillance (DS), nor have we used Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS), but have used our powers in connection with obtaining Communications Data under section 21 (4) (c) of RIPA eight times since 2004. The Commission only seeks RIPA authorisations when necessary to assist with our investigations, where it is proportionate to do so, and in cases of the most serious concern.
	The Charity Commission has not authorised the use of RIPA for any surveillance, of schools with charitable status or otherwise. In none of the eight occasions where RIPA authority was sought for obtaining communications data by the Commission were the requests rejected.
	Since 2004 the Commission has been inspected three times by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners (OSC) and after each inspection, received a report as RESTRICTED under government protective marking. Unfortunately, therefore, it would not be appropriate to make copies generally available.
	As mentioned previously the use of RIPA was to obtain Communications Data. As you may be aware, the Charity Commission is a civil regulator and not a prosecuting authority, but has a clear regulatory function to identify and investigate abuse in charities. Where we identify or are alerted to criminal activity within a charity, we will inform the police or other relevant agencies where this has not already happened, for them to consider further action and prosecute where appropriate. To our knowledge, to date, no prosecutions have been brought directly in relation to the eight RIPA authorisations. We can confirm that some of the charities, subject to use of communications data, are or have been directly or indirectly connected to criminal prosecutions.
	I hope this is helpful.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much her Department spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Civil Servants

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 24 June 2009,  Official Report, column 57WS, on Report to Parliament on Civil Service Delegations/Authorisations, what the details of each delegation or authorisation were; and what the purpose was of each.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Civil Servants: Foreign Workers

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the decision of the British Council to outsource staff to India, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to non-departmental bodies and executive agencies on the outsourcing of Civil Service jobs to areas outside the UK.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Civil Servants: Pay

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answers of 20 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1035W, and of 27 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 1082-4W, on civil servants: pay, how many employees of the public bodies listed are in receipt of a salary of over  (a) £100,000,  (b) £150,000 and  (c) £200,000.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the proposed changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme will require changes in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation.

Tessa Jowell: The Minister for the Civil Service amends the Civil Service Compensation Scheme using powers conferred by the Superannuation Act 1972.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what requirements there are on the use of open competition to recruit people to Civil Service posts.

Angela Smith: Appointment into the civil service is made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as laid out in the Civil Service Order in Council 1995 (as amended) and the Diplomatic Service Order in Council 1991 (as amended).
	The Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles give guidance on how this may be achieved in practice. A copy of the Order in Council and The Recruitment Principles is available on the Civil Service Commissioners website
	www.civilservicecommissioners.org
	and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Civil Servants: Training

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, column 422W, on civil servants, if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance on taking minutes.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Civil Servants: Vacancies

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 422-3W, on civil servants: vacancies, what the  (a) job title,  (b) salary range and  (c) sponsoring public body was of each job vacancy posted on the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway that was only advertised on the private part of the website in the last three months.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Committee on Standards in Public Life

John Stanley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which 12 constituencies are referred to in paragraph 5.74 of the Twelfth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Cm 7724.

Tessa Jowell: Information contained in its report is a matter for the Committee.

Death: Cancer

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) diagnosed cases of and  (b) deaths from oesophageal cancer there have been in (i) each region and (ii) Norwich North constituency since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheston, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many  (a) diagnosed cases of and  (b) deaths from oesophageal cancer there have been in (i) each government office region and (ii) Norwich North parliamentary constituency since 1997.
	.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of oesophageal cancer are for the year 2007, while the latest figures for deaths are for the year 2008.
	Table 1 provides the number of  (a) diagnosed cases of oesophageal cancer from 1997 to 2007 and Table 2 provides the number of  (b) deaths from oesophageal cancer from 1997 to 2008, for (i) each government office region and (ii) Norwich North parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of oesophageal cancer( 1) , by Government Office region and Norwich North parliamentary constituency( 2) ,1997-2007( 3) 
			  Government Office Region  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 North East 309 286 298 316 290 325 346 302 309 341 308 
			 North West 881 914 897 891 1,034 910 988 1,014 1,044 1,023 1,064 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 547 584 559 582 594 625 638 651 693 660 652 
			 East Midlands 524 538 580 542 597 606 532 561 620 580 657 
			 West Midlands 638 637 608 661 683 703 700 702 705 675 747 
			 East of England 618 608 609 590 566 599 580 609 634 622 691 
			 London 624 634 642 697 631 668 681 584 605 626 623 
			 South East 910 890 1,041 1,031 1,027 1,007 1,066 1,072 1,055 1,007 1,013 
			 South West 689 621 725 735 747 719 747 735 790 819 732 
			  Parliamentary Constituency
			 Norwich North 12 6 12 8 11 10 9 10 15 14 15 
			 (1) Oesophageal cancer is coded to C15 in the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009 (3) Newly diagnosed registrations in each calendar year 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths where oesophageal cancer( 1)  was the underlying cause of death, by Government Office region and Norwich North parliamentary constituency( 2) ,1997-2008( 3) 
			  Government Office Region  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 North East 299 327 280 310 297 322 318 319 331 324 312 324 
			 North West 892 910 943 928 965 933 936 931 990 990 933 972 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 532 530 606 558 578 566 595 618 674 600 608 590 
			 East Midlands 481 487 478 520 517 563 524 504 543 570 540 604 
			 West Midlands 670 637 636 626 630 710 694 661 713 701 754 731 
			 East of England 591 584 583 565 596 646 616 633 636 651 635 678 
			 London 570 582 584 557 584 536 639 523 535 534 543 544 
			 South East 837 848 882 926 887 959 962 978 962 956 922 953 
			 South West 572 632 675 683 637 679 712 727 677 740 706 735 
			  Parliamentary Constituency 
			 Norwich North 8 10 10 12 8 15 15 12 10 17 10 13 
			 (1) Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 140-208 for the years 1997 to 2000, and the Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C0O-C97 for the years 2001-2008. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009 (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1000W, on Project George,  (a) how much has been spent and  (b) what works have been completed in respect of Project George to date.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether her Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Email

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 15 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1047W, on 10 Downing Street: e-mail whether the pilot scheme allowing web-based e-mail accounts to be used on Cabinet Office systems has commenced; what additional charges are introduced by the pilot system; and which users will be authorised to use web-based accounts.

Angela Smith: The new corporate IT system for the Cabinet Office has commenced its pilot. An integral part of the system is a more secure connection to the internet. With this increased security we can allow staff to have access to personal, web-based e-mail. There are restrictions in place to protect Cabinet Office data, including limitations on uploading or downloading between the Cabinet Office network and the internet. No specific charges attach to the use of web-based email.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff in the office of the Minister for the Olympics were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to her Department in each year since 2005; and how much that office spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff in the Prime Minister's office were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to her Department in each year since 2005; and how much that office spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff in her Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to her Department in each year since 2005; and how much her Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Hertfordshire of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 652W, on the Heavy Hitter Programme, what the cost of the Heavy Hitter Programme Delivery Director Service has been to date; which IT projects each consultant worked on; and what payments have been made to each consultant for work undertaken in connection with the Heavy Hitter Programme.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether her Department plans to undertake legal action to recover losses from the SCOPE IT project.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of the SCOPE IT project to the public purse has been; how much has been paid to IBM under the project; and how much is planned to be spent on the replacement for SCOPE.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Land

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in which of the Duchy of Lancaster's landholding's allotments have been  (a) sold,  (b) otherwise disposed and  (c) developed over in the last 36 months.

Tessa Jowell: The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has informed me that the Duchy has not sold, otherwise disposed or developed any of its allotment holdings. To the contrary, the Duchy is in discussion with a local rural parish council in relation to providing land for allotments in Northamptonshire and to incorporating allotment land within a rural affordable housing scheme currently being designed by the Duke of Lancaster Housing Trust in Lancashire.

Departmental Land

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Duchy of Lancaster is taking in response to the September 2009 ruling of the Advertising Standards Authority against the Duchy.

Tessa Jowell: The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has noted the decision and the Duchy will not be using the brochure again in its current form. Consultation has continued with the local community, both those for and against the proposal, and further detailed design work is being undertaken for discussion with the local authority and community in due course.

Departmental Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much her Department has spent on advisory non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1996-97;
	(2)  how much her Department has spent on executive non-departmental public bodies in 2008-09.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in her Department was in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with which providers  (a) her Department and  (b) its agency had contracts to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

Departmental Public Consultation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's future roadshow event in Liverpool on 27 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(2)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in the North East on 20 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(3)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in Leicester on 1 July 2009 ; and what the cost of the event was;
	(4)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in Yorkshire and the Humber on 27 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(5)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in Bristol on 28 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(6)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in London on 29 June 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(7)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials, (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in Portsmouth on 10 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(8)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in Ipswich on 22 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was;
	(9)  how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local authorities and  (d) (i) invited and (ii) non-invited members of the public attended the Building Britain's Future roadshow event in the West Midlands on 29 July 2009; and what the cost of the event was.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Publications

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the  (a) Building Britain's Future and  (b) Real Help Now campaign is covered by Crown copyright; and whether permission has been given to non-governmental organisations to reproduce the artwork or branding from each such campaign.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Publications

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will place in the Library a copy of the Central Office of Information's White Book produced for the second half of 2009.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by her Department are published.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office does not produce any Official Statistics.

Derek Draper

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham of 6 May 2009,  Official Report, column 182W, on Derek Draper, whether Mr Derek Draper has ever held a security pass to No. 10 Downing Street.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Derek Draper and Charlie Whelan

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 5 October 2009,  Official Report, column 2315W, on Derek Draper and Charlie Whelan, how many times  (a) Mr. Derek Draper and  (b) Mr. Charlie Whelan visited the Downing Street/Cabinet Office complex in the prior 18-month period.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Derek Draper and Charlie Whelan

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 5 October 2009,  Official Report, column 2315W, on Derek Draper and Charlie Whelan, for how long records of visitors to the Downing Street/Cabinet Office complex are retained.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Disclosure of Information: Criminal Investigation

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter from the Cabinet Office's Director of Security and Intelligence  (a) dated 8 October 2008 sent to SO15 Counter Terrorism Command requesting the assistance of the police into the investigation of Home Office leaks and  (b) of 29 October 2008 sent to the Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick calling for a scoping exercise to be undertaken.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Disclosure of Information: Criminal Investigation

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether her Department plans to issue a formal response to the parts of the Review of the lessons learned from the Metropolitan Police Service's investigation of Home Office leaks by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary that relate to it.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in  (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in  (a) Vale of Clwyd and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years. (299718)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Employment statistics for regions are compiled from the Labour Force Survey.
	Table 1 shows the number of persons in employment resident in the Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency for the 12 month periods ending in February from 1995 to 2004 from the annual LFS and for the 12 month periods ending December from 2004 to 2008 from the APS, along with the latest estimate for the period ending March 2009. Estimates arc not available prior to the 12 month period ending February 1995.
	Table 2 shows the number of persons in employment resident in each English Government Office Region, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the 3 month period January to March for each year from 1993 to 2009, along with the latest estimate for the period July to September 2009. Estimates are not available prior to 1993 on a consistent basis.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS and LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in both tables.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Persons( 1)  in employment resident in the Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency 
			  12 month period ending:  Number (Thousand) 
			 February 1995 27 
			 February 1996 24 
			 February 1997 23 
			 February 1998 24 
			 February 1999 25 
			 February 2000 27 
			 February 2001 29 
			 February 2002 28 
			 February 2003 27 
			 February 2004 29 
			 December 2004 30 
			 December 2005 32 
			 December 2006 28 
			 December 2007 30 
			 December 2008 30 
			   
			 March 2009(2) **30 
			 (1 )Persons aged 16 and over. (2 )Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  KeyCoefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness *0 = CV5  Estimates are considered precise. **  5 = CV 10   Estimates are considered reasonably precise. ***10 = CV 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. ****  CV ? 20Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Source: Annual Population Survey/Annual Labour Force Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Persons( 1)  in employment resident in each English Government office region, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland 
			  Number (Thousand, seasonally adjusted) 
			   East  East Midlands  London  North East  North West  Scotland 
			 January to March 1993 2,419 1,862 3,009 1,041 2,881 2,210 
			 January to March 1994 2,417 1,835 2,954 1,032 2,882 2,247 
			 January to March 1995 2,453 1,878 3,042 1,023 2,879 2,273 
			 January to March 1996 2,478 1,905 3,087 1,055 2,877 2,237 
			 January to March 1997 2,492 1,946 3,166 1,059 2,959 2,253 
			 January to March 1998 2,552 1,961 3,219 1,060 2,926 2,295 
			 January to March 1999 2,587 1,987 3,371 1,038 2,945 2,284 
			 January to March 2000 2,612 1,997 3,416 1,064 3,020 2,306 
			 January to March 2001 2,698 1,975 3,483 1,066 3,041 2,353 
			 January to March 2002 2,692 2,006 3,505 1,082 3,034 2,338 
			 January to March 2003 2,664 2,044 3,485 1,071 3,106 2,393 
			 January to March 2004 2,756 2,071 3,520 1,117 3,165 2,419 
			 January to March 2005 2,759 2,096 3,550 1,128 3,179 2,461 
			 January to March 2006 2,747 2,149 3,609 1,152 3,187 2,463 
			 January to March 2007 2,768 2,134 3,642 1,151 3,174 2,540 
			 January to March 2008 2,819 2,166 3,729 1,154 3,163 2,543 
			 January to March 2009 2,831 2,151 3,736 1,148 3,137 2,526 
			
			 July to September 2009(2) *2,811 *2,148 *3,720 *1,130 *3,116 *2,500 
		
	
	
		
			  Thousand (Seasonally adjusted) 
			   South East  South West  Wales  West Midlands  Yorkshire and The Humber  Northern Ireland 
			 January to March 1994 3,645 2,150 1,163 2,306 2,173 606 
			 January to March 1995 3,668 2,162 1,173 2,340 2,164 619 
			 January to March 1996 3,756 2,192 1,183 2,347 2,192 662 
			 January to March 1997 3,830 2,250 1,210 2,372 2,173 671 
			 January to March 1998 3,882 2,297 1,197 2,410 2,194 682 
			 January to March 1999 3,970 2,332 1,216 2,398 2,217 690 
			 January to March 2000 4,031 2,360 1,220 2,408 2,238 690 
			 January to March 2001 4,034 2,362 1,234 2,417 2,264 696 
			 January to March 2002 4,072 2,392 1,227 2,450 2,282 705 
			 January to March 2003 4,062 2,420 1,299 2,456 2,320 750 
			 January to March 2004 4,040 2,464 1,329 2,457 2,365 718 
			 January to March 2005 4,096 2,480 1,320 2,514 2,400 745 
			 January to March 2006 4,138 2,489 1,323 2,513 2,426 762 
			 January to March 2007 4,138 2,507 1,346 2,475 2,404 783 
			 January to March 2008 4,230 2,564 1,353 2,509 2,475 787 
			 January to March 2009 4,188 2,546 1,330 2,420 2,404 755 
			
			 July to September 20092 *4,150 *2,493 *1,306 *2,414 *2,399 *751 
			 (1) Persons aged 16 and over. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  KeyCoefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness *0 = CV5  Estimates are considered precise. **  5 = CV 10   Estimates are considered reasonably precise. ***10 = CV 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. ****  CV ? 20Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Source: Labour Force Survey.

Government Departments: Correspondence

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what targets  (a) her Department and  (b) the Government Communication Group have for the time to (i) acknowledge and (ii) provide a substantive reply to external correspondence.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Government Departments: Managers

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many layers of line management there are  (a) in her Department and  (b) on average in all Government departments.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Government Departments: Recruitment

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance her Department has produced on re-employing former civil servants as  (a) fee paid staff,  (b) contractors,  (c) agency staff and  (d) consultants.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Government Departments: Recruitment

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance the Cabinet Secretary has given to Departments on making public appointments in the period before the general election.

Tessa Jowell: General guidance on public appointments is set out in the Cabinet Office guidance Making and Managing Public Appointments. This is available in the Libraries of the House and on-line at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/work/public-appointments.aspx
	On the announcement of a General Election, guidance will be issued on questions of procedure and conduct for civil servants, including on the making of public appointments.

Government Departments: Telephone Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Reading West of 21 April 2009,  Official Report, column 550W, on Government departments: telephone services, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office survey of different telephone number types used by Government departments and agencies.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Lobbying

John Grogan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her policy is on the regulation of political lobbyists and the declaration of their client lists; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Government's position is as set out in its Response to the Report of the Public Administration Select Committee on Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall published on 23 October 2009 (HC 1058).

Lord-Lieutenants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Lords Lieutenant in each region there are of each  (a) sex,  (b) age group and  (c) ethnicity; what the average salary is of Lords Lieutenant; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Marketing: Cabinet Office

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Prime Minister's Office has spent on advertising in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she expects to answer Question 289081, on special advisers, tabled by the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge on 20 July 2009.

Tessa Jowell: This question has been answered today.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  when she plans to respond to question 255507, on public sector jobs, tabled to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 5 February 2009;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of new jobs created since 1997 which attract salaries paid for out of public funds.

Angela Smith: I apologise for the late response.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked for a further copy of the response to be sent.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what estimate has been made of the proportion of new jobs created since 1997 which attract salaries paid for out of public funds. (255507)
	The table appended provides the net change in employment in the public and private sectors between 1997 and 2008. It shows that the increase in public sector employment accounted for 19 per cent of the increase in the total of public and private sector employment over this period.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes employment statistics for the public sector from the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey and for the private sector from the Labour Force Survey.
	Employment levels vary over time for a number of reasons, including because new jobs are created. Statistics of new jobs created are not available. However, as here, comparisons can be made of overall net changes in employment, within the public and private sectors. These sectors are as defined in the National Accounts and do not exactly match with the number of jobs which attract salaries paid for out of public funds. For example, GPs are not counted in the public sector.
	
		
			  Public and private sector employment 
			  Not seasonally adjusted; headcount( 1) 
			   Public sector( 2)  Private sector( 3) 
			 1997 Q2 5,182 21,328 
			 2008 Q2 5,747 23,738 
			
			 Change (headcount) 565 2,410 
			 Change (percentage) 10.9 11.3 
			 (1) Headcount figures are in thousands. (2) Source: Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey. (3) Source: Labour Force Survey.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the aggregate cash equivalent transfer value of the pension rights of special advisers in each of the last five financial years.

Tessa Jowell: I have made no such estimates.

Pay

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) mean and  (b) median full-time wage for (i) private sector and (ii) public sector employees was in (A) 1997 and (B) the most recent period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Privacy: Impact Assessments

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether her Department issues guidance to Government departments in respect of the circumstances in which privacy impact assessments are  (a) required and  (b) encouraged.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Private Detectives

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 873W, on private detectives, whether other Government departments have hired or commissioned individuals from the panel of independent investigators.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Private Detectives

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 873W, on private detectives, how much her Department spent on hiring or commissioning individuals from the panel of independent investigators in each of the last five years.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Public Bodies: Databases

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps her Department is taking to facilitate data sharing among public sector bodies.

Angela Smith: The Ministry of Justice is the lead Department on data sharing. The Cabinet Office supports technical elements of secure data handling and ensures that considerations of Data Sharing informs our work to promote more joined up public services.
	Sharing data securely is a requirement of the Data Handling Review, which all public bodies must adhere to.

Public Sector: ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment has been made of the levels of compliance with her Department's guidance on public sector open source software procurement; and what steps are being taken to ensure compliance.

Angela Smith: The Open Source, Open Standards and Re-use Action Plan was published in February 2009 and is Government policy.
	The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is currently developing guidance for the procurement of open source, working with departments and local authorities that have successfully implemented open source applications, to share best practice and effective methods for procurement. The basis of the guidance has been prepared and material based on practical experience is now being sought from industry and government bodies to enhance the content.
	The Cabinet Office does not gather centralised data regarding software procurement.

Public Sector: Redundancy

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether her Department has issued recent guidance to Government departments on the termination of public sector worker contracts because of inefficiency.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Public Services Forum

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  on what dates the Public Services Forum has met in the last 12 months; and who the members are of the Forum;
	(2)  whether minutes of meetings of the Public Services Forum are taken.

Tessa Jowell: The Public Services Forum met on the following dates:
	11 November 2009
	27 July 2009
	5 March 2009
	3 November 2008
	There is no fixed membership of the Public Services Forum; the ministerial chair invites employers and trade union representatives in roughly equal numbers to engage in dialogue with the Government on public service workforce issues. Representatives of the Confederation of British Industry, Business Services Association, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations are also invited to attend some meetings
	Notes are kept of Public Services Forum meetings. Notes of the 5 March 2009 and 27 July 2009 meetings have been placed in the Library of the House and published on the CO website, and notes of each further Public Services Forum meeting will be published on the Cabinet Office Website.

Redundancy: Payments

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance the Cabinet Office issues on  (a) public sector redundancy payments and  (b) whether previous public sector employment should be rolled over when calculating redundancy payments.

Tessa Jowell: The Cabinet Office is responsible for compensation terms payable on redundancy to civil servants. I refer the hon. member to the answer given in the other place to the noble Lord, Lord Laird, on 3 March,  Official Report, column WA 134-35. The policy on compensation payable to other public sector employees is set by the appropriate Government departments.

Unemployment: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of long-term youth unemployment was in  (a) Vale of Clwyd and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. member in the time available before Prorogation.

Voluntary Work: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment her Department has made of levels of volunteering among those aged  (a) under 18 years,  (b) between 18 and 30 years,  (c) between 30 and 50 years and  (d) over 50 years in North East Milton Keynes constituency in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: Data on the level of volunteering at constituency level are not available. The smallest level that data on volunteering are collected by central Government is at county council, metropolitan district council, London borough and unitary authority level. These data were collected for the first time in 2008 through the Place Survey, a survey which provides information on people's perceptions of their local area and the local services they receive. The data from the Place Survey indicate that in 2008 22.8 per cent. of the respondents to the Place Survey distributed by Milton Keynes council had volunteered at least once a month in the last 12 months. The Place Survey data are available on the Communities and Local Government website.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on council tax benefit in each region in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the tables.
	
		
			  Council Tax Benefit expenditure since 1997, in £ millions, cash terms 
			  Region  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 North East 139 144 152 155 161 171 188 201 210 216 221 
			 North West 367 374 381 383 394 401 436 469 491 507 517 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 205 213 217 222 232 242 269 293 310 323 327 
			 East Midlands 139 147 154 160 165 183 202 226 240 253 259 
			 West Midlands 230 233 244 253 267 282 315 336 355 374 384 
			 East of England 161 167 176 182 191 209 250 283 304 322 335 
			 London 399 384 380 389 415 435 529 599 634 668 679 
			 South East 216 221 230 235 247 268 327 373 403 426 440 
			 South West 158 163 169 173 179 193 231 260 281 298 307 
			 Wales 94 103 108 119 124 131 142 160 176 184 189 
			 Scotland 287 303 307 310 316 322 337 358 368 373 366 
			 Great Britain 2,395 2,452 2,518 2,580 2,690 2,837 3,225 3,558 3,774 3,943 4,023 
		
	
	
		
			  Council Tax Benefit expenditure since 1997, in £ millions, 2009-10 prices 
			  Region  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 North East 182 185 192 193 196 202 215 224 230 230 229 
			 North West 482 481 480 476 479 473 500 523 537 539 535 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 269 274 273 276 282 285 308 327 339 344 339 
			 East Midlands 182 189 194 199 201 216 231 252 262 269 268 
			 West Midlands 302 299 307 315 325 332 361 375 388 398 398 
			 East of England 211 215 222 226 232 246 286 316 332 343 347 
			 London 524 493 479 484 505 513 606 668 693 711 703 
			 South East 283 284 290 292 301 316 375 416 441 453 456 
			 South West 207 209 213 215 218 227 265 290 307 317 318 
			 Wales 123 132 136 148 151 154 163 178 192 196 196 
			 Scotland 377 389 387 386 384 380 386 399 402 397 379 
			 Great Britain 3,143 3,150 3,173 3,209 3,273 3,344 3,696 3,969 4,126 4,196 4,165 
			 Notes: (1). Figures are rounded to the nearest million. Columns may not sum to Great Britain totals due to this rounding. (2). Figures include all Council Tax Benefit, whether funded by central Government or by local authorities. (3). Figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are provisional. (4). Figures have been converted to 2009-10 prices using GDP Deflators from HM Treasury which are consistent with the 2009 Budget Report. (5). These figures are available on the DWP website at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/hbctb_exp.xls  Source:  Local Authority subsidy returns

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Jim Knight: The Department's information assurance procedures have been independently assessed in accordance with the HMG Information Assurance Maturity Model and the associated Framework in March 2009. The assessment was undertaken by the Communications-Electronic Security Group.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by her Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Display Energy Certificates (DECs) are the means by which Government have implemented the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in England and Wales. From October 2008, buildings with a total useful floor area of over 1000m(2) that are occupied by a public authority and by institutions providing a public service to a large number of persons must display an annually updated DEC showing an Operational Rating, in a prominent place clearly visible to the public.
	In Scotland, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive has been enacted differently. From 4 January 2009, public authorities and institutions occupying buildings with a total useful floor area over 1,000m(2) must display in an area clearly visible to the public an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) showing the building's asset rating. These are valid for a period of 10 years.
	A table showing the performance for the past two years of those DWP buildings in England and Wales that require a DEC is as follows, together with similar information relating to DWP buildings in Scotland where an EPC is required.
	
		
			2008 DEC details  2009 DEC details 
			  Business  i dentifier  Premises  n ame  Operational rating  Operational rating number  Operational rating  Operational rating number 
			 Jobcentre Plus Blyth Bridge House B 40 B 38 
			 Jobcentre Plus Garston Chessington House B 37 B 38 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hemsworth Low Hall B 27 B 34 
			 Jobcentre Plus Mulberry House Goole B 50 B 48 
			 Jobcentre Plus Water Court Nottingham B 46 B 48 
			 Jobcentre Plus Shrewsbury Whitehall C 58 B 42 
			 Jobcentre Plus High Street Waltham Cross B 31 B 26 
			 Jobcentre Plus Porthmadog Thedford House B 50 B 45 
			 Jobcentre Plus Guildford Leys House A 25 B 32 
			 PDCS Bristol Flowers Hill B 42 B 40 
			 Jobcentre Plus Barnstaple Princess House B 50 B 45 
			 Jobcentre Plus Somerset Hall B 48 B 31 
			 Jobcentre Plus Peterlee Hatfield House D 89 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Eston Hadrian House C 69 C 63 
			 Jobcentre Plus Fountain House Morpeth C 69 C 63 
			 Jobcentre Plus Daryl House Stockton-On-Tees C 69 C 63 
			 Jobcentre Plus Church View House C 57 C 53 
			 Jobcentre Plus Southport Eastbank House C 65 C 58 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wallasey Dominic House D 83 C 70 
			 Jobcentre Plus Brunswick House Birkenhead C 58 C 57 
			 Jobcentre Plus Stockport Heron House D 78 C 65 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wigan Mesnes House C 60 C 51 
			 Jobcentre Plus Oldham Phoenix House C 73 C 68 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leigh Roydale House C 70 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Manchester Graeme House D 78 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wigan Brocol House D 94 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bolton Elizabeth House C 71 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lytham Westmorland House C 64 C 59 
			 Jobcentre Plus Workington Simon House C 62 C 61 
			 Jobcentre Plus Barrow Phoenix House D 78 C 71 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lancaster Mitre House C 70 C 65 
			 Jobcentre Plus Arndale House Stretford G Default 200 C 71 
			 Jobcentre Plus Oldham Road Newton Heath C 69 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus Scunthorpe Crown Buildings C 59 C 63 
			 Jobcentre Plus Keighley Worth House C 62 C 61 
			 Jobcentre Plus Harrogate Berkeley House D 80 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Northallerton Elder House C 59 C 62 
			 Jobcentre Plus York Monkgate C 72 C 65 
			 Jobcentre Plus Skipton Cavendish House C 73 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hull Crown House C 75 C 75 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bridlington Quay Road D 86 C 66 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bradford Westfield House D 87 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Horton Street Halifax C 64 C 57 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lancer Court Sheffield D 79 C 58 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chantry House Rotherham C 75 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Loughborough Lemyngton Street C 75 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Normanton Road Derby D 84 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus Newcastle-U-Lyme High Street C 62 C 60 
			 Jobcentre Plus Longton Strand House D 90 C 72 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leamington Spa Brandon House C 68 C 69 
			 Jobcentre Plus Rugby Kingsforth House C 55 C 56 
			 Jobcentre Plus Nuneaton Mill House C 74 C 64 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hereford St Nicholas House G Default 200 C 66 
			 Jobcentre Plus Birmingham Five Ways House C 58 C 57 
			 Jobcentre Plus Burton-upon-Trent Crown Building C 71 C 72 
			 Jobcentre Plus Mutual House Kings Heath D 85 C 75 
			 Jobcentre Plus Park House Solihull B 36 C 62 
			 Jobcentre Plus Regent House Basildon C 72 C 71 
			 Jobcentre Plus Ebbw Vale Civic Centre C 64 C 63 
			 Jobcentre Plus Tonypandy Thistle House C 71 C 68 
			 Jobcentre Plus Newtown Afon House C 65 C 63 
			 PDCS Cardiff Government Buildings D 79 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus Market Street Bridgend D 80 C 56 
			 Jobcentre Plus High Street Swansea C 75 C 75 
			 Jobcentre Plus Llanelli Job Centre C 75 C 67 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hove Boundary House C 65 C 68 
			 Jobcentre Plus Folkestone Palting House C 73 C 72 
			 Jobcentre Plus St. Leonards on Sea Heron House C 74 C 68 
			 Jobcentre Plus Eastbourne St. Annes House C 68 C 61 
			 Jobcentre Plus Southampton St. Cross House C 73 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus Andover Government Offices C 67 C 57 
			 Jobcentre Plus Northgate House Canterbury D 77 C 70 
			 Jobcentre Plus Capital House Eastleigh C 58 C 61 
			 Jobcentre Plus London Fulham Waterford House C 61 C 62 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Hoxton Drysdale Street D 77 C 71 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Bloomsbury Tavis House D 82 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus High Street Harlesden London E 109 C 60 
			 Jobcentre Plus North Street Hornchurch C 73 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus Dartmouth Road Forest Hill C 70 C 63 
			 Jobcentre Plus Swindon Spring Gardens D 78 C 74 
			 Jobcentre Plus Salisbury Summerlock House C 71 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Truro Lemon Quay House C 63 C 59 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cam House Kingswood Bristol C 72 C 68 
			 Jobcentre Plus Regent House , Weston Super Mare D 77 C 69 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hayward House Cheltenham C 66 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cyppa Court Chippenham C 63 C 73 
			 Jobcentre Plus Darlington Bondgate House D 96 D 89 
			 Jobcentre Plus Houghton-le-Spring Broadway House D 81 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wallsend Hadrian House D 80 D 80 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hartlepool Ward Jackson House D 92 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus Ashington Riverdale House D 100 D 94 
			 Jobcentre Plus Elvet House Durham D 90 D 90 
			 Jobcentre Plus Condercum House Newcastle-Upon-Tyne D 79 D 89 
			 Jobcentre Plus North Shields Camden Street C 73 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chapter Row South Shields C 75 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Shildon House Gateshead D 87 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus St Helens Gregson House D 83 D 88 
			 Jobcentre Plus Huyton Edendale House D 96 D 94 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bootle Linacre House E 113 D 95 
			 Jobcentre Plus Liverpool Hougoumont House D 76 D 85 
			 PDCS Bootle St Martin's House E 103 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chester Chantry House D 83 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Manchester Othen House D 80 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus Manchester Wilmslow Road E 106 D 91 
			 Jobcentre Plus Manchester Clarence Road D 91 D 94 
			 Jobcentre Plus Manchester Simon House D 83 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Manchester Baskerville House D 90 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Rochdale Newgate House D 93 D 88 
			 Jobcentre Plus Blackburn Orchard House D 79 D 80 
			 Jobcentre Plus Burnley Brun House D 79 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Carlisle Rufus House D 84 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus Blackhorse Street Bolton D 95 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus Queen Street Blackpool E 108 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus St. Chads Drive Kirkby D 82 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cornwall Street Openshaw E 113 D 95 
			 Jobcentre Plus Danesmoor Court Didsbury D 91 D 90 
			 Jobcentre Plus Tweedale House Oldham E 101 D 99 
			 Jobcentre Plus Gateway House Preston E 114 D 95 
			 Jobcentre Plus Halifax Crossfield House D 94 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hull Britannia House E 104 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leeds Century House D 95 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leeds Park Place D 84 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leeds Southern House D 83 D 83 
			 PDCS Leeds Government Buildings C 75 D 80 
			 Jobcentre Plus Mexborough Crown Buildings D 98 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus Doncaster Crossgate House D 85 D 83 
			 Jobcentre Plus Dewsbury Crown Buildings D 80 D 81 
			 Jobcentre Plus Sheffield Eastern Avenue E 111 D 100 
			 Jobcentre Plus Eastbrook Court Bradford D 97 D 90 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bridge House Grimsby D 86 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Eastgate Leeds D 99 D 92 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bailey Court Sheffield D 95 D 83 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cooper House Barnsley D 77 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wakefield Crowther House D 81 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Northampton Gladstone Road East C 72 D 83 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leicester Wellington Street D 95 D 91 
			 Jobcentre Plus Boston Crown Building D 85 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Nottingham Station Street D 86 D 86 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lincoln Orchard Street D 91 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus Mansfield Hill House D 98 D 90 
			 Jobcentre Plus Grantham Crown House D 87 D 83 
			 Jobcentre Plus Ilkeston Crown Buildings D 81 D 85 
			 Jobcentre Plus Derby Forester House D 87 D 92 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chesterfield Beetwell House D 88 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus Skegness Government Buildings E 101 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus Sovereign House Bulwell D 85 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Markham House Chesterfield D 97 D 81 
			 Jobcentre Plus Birmingham Soho Road D 93 D 92 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cannock Beecroft Road E 108 D 100 
			 Jobcentre Plus Scotland House Stourbridge D 80 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wolverhampton Molineux House D 81 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Meridian House Perry Barr D 91 D 99 
			 Jobcentre Plus Coventry Road Yardley D 77 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus 1300 Bristol Road South Northfield D 88 D 81 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chelmsley Wood Birmingham E 105 D 95 
			 Jobcentre Plus High Street Smethwick D 90 D 80 
			 Jobcentre Plus Christchurch House West Bromwich D 88 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus Alexander House Dudley D 94 D 92 
			 Jobcentre Plus Telford House Telford D 76 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chapel Court Wolverhampton D 90 D 86 
			 Jobcentre Plus High Street Bilston D 96 D 91 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bury St Edmunds St Andrews House D 83 D 81 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cambridge Henry Giles House D 81 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lowestoft Rishton House D 88 D 93 
			 Jobcentre Plus Peterborough Clifton House D 95 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus Harlow Beaufort House D 81 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Ipswich St Felix House D 82 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Clacton Station Road D 90 D 82 
			 Jobcentre Plus Colchester Crown Building D 81 D 91 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bedford Wyvern House D 96 D 86 
			 Jobcentre Plus St. Albans Beauver House F 142 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Waterhouse Street Hemel Hempstead D 85 D 85 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lovell House Kings Lynn E 102 D 100 
			 Jobcentre Plus Derby Road Grays D 89 D 87 
			 Jobcentre Plus Stevenage Marshgate Chambers D 96 D 88 
			 Jobcentre Plus Llanelli Crown Buildings D 96 D 99 
			 Jobcentre Plus Aberystwyth Crown Buildings D 87 D 81 
			 Jobcentre Plus Morriston Oldway House D 83 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus Aberdare Crown Building D 81 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus Merthyr Tydfil Abermorlais D 100 D 98 
			 Jobcentre Plus Blackwood Newbridge House G 166 D 92 
			 Jobcentre Plus Pontypridd Oldway House D 84 D 87 
			 Jobcentre Plus Colwyn Bay Coed Pella Road D 78 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wrexham Grosvenor Road D 98 D 90 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cardiff Cowbridge Road East D 80 D 81 
			 Jobcentre Plus Caradog House Cardiff D 77 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus 1 Windsor Road Neath D 90 D 93 
			 Jobcentre Plus Sittingbourne Roman House D 78 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Fareham Crown Office C 73 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Isle of Wight Broadlands House D 76 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bognor Regis BO Gloucester House D 79 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Aldershot South Western House D 92 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Banbury Southam Road C 71 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Slough Upton Lodge D 96 D 94 
			 Jobcentre Plus High Wycombe Aria House E 108 D 98 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wynnstay House Cosham D 96 D 91 
			 Jobcentre Plus Gresham House Crawley D 100 D 99 
			 Jobcentre Plus Romford Crown House E 103 D 100 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Wood Green Granta House D 82 D 99 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Balham Irene House D 88 D 87 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Hendon Finchley Lane E 114 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Leytonstone Lemna Road D 87 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Catford Rushey Green D 96 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Poplar Dod Street D 104 D 97 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Walthamstow Danson House D 86 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Battersea Kennington Park D 88 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Streatham Crown House E 106 D 100 
			 Jobcentre Plus Dingwall Road Croydon E 115 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus Aldermans Hill Palmers Green E 108 D 94 
			 Jobcentre Plus Cambridge Avenue Kilburn D 96 D 98 
			 Jobcentre Plus Mare Street Hackney E 102 D 98 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chequers Lane Dagenham D 94 D 85 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bentley Road Dalston London E 105 D 98 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hermes House Brixton D 83 D 85 
			 Jobcentre Plus Clapham Road London F 130 D 96 
			 Jobcentre Plus London Road Twickenham D 79 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus Acton Job Centre D 83 D 77 
			 Jobcentre Plus Gloucester Cedar House D 91 D 78 
			 Jobcentre Plus Taunton Brendon House D 85 D 84 
			 Jobcentre Plus Exeter Clarendon House D 90 D 91 
			 Jobcentre Plus Yeovil Federated House D 76 D 79 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bridgwater Hanover House D 86 D 94 
			 Jobcentre Plus Penzance Branwell House C 62 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Weymouth Westwey House D 76 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bristol Eagle House D 91 D 86 
			 Jobcentre Plus St. Levan Road Devonport D 79 D 76 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hexham St Andrews House E 108 E 106 
			 Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Bishop Auckland Vinovium House D 97 E 102 
			 Jobcentre Plus No 1 Cathedral Square E 103 E 103 
			 Jobcentre Plus Liverpool Kinglake House E 114 E 114 
			 Jobcentre Plus Liverpool Childwall Valley Road D 100 E 102 
			 Jobcentre Plus Widnes Kingsway House E 110 E 101 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hyde Beech House E 114 E 123 
			 PDCS Blackpool Warbreck House E 104 E 102 
			 Jobcentre Plus Preston Barry House E 110 E 108 
			 Jobcentre Plus Heron House Morecambe E 108 E 103 
			 Jobcentre Plus Tyldsley Road Blackpool E 114 E 110 
			 Jobcentre Plus Park House Bootle D 88 E 101 
			 Jobcentre Plus Nolan House Warrington E 113 E 104 
			 Jobcentre Plus Grimsby Crown House E 113 E 107 
			 Jobcentre Plus Leeds Quarry House E 107 E 101 
			 Jobcentre Plus Castle House Huddersfield E 105 E 109 
			 Jobcentre Plus Market Place Hull D 100 E 123 
			 Jobcentre Plus Northampton Frances House E 104 E 104 
			 Jobcentre Plus Nottingham Upper Parliament Street E 113 E 113 
			 Jobcentre Plus New Walk Leicester E 103 E 104 
			 Jobcentre Plus Birmingham City Jobcentre Plus E 114 E 112 
			 Jobcentre Plus Heynesfield House Sparkhill D 83 E 115 
			 Jobcentre Plus King Edward Court Sutton Coldfield D 76 E 106 
			 Jobcentre Plus Washwood Heath Road Washwood Heath E 105 E 114 
			 Jobcentre Plus Torrington Avenue - Block B D 98 E 105 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bridle Court Walsall E 114 E 108 
			 Jobcentre Plus Selly Oak New Development F 136 E 118 
			 Jobcentre Plus Luton Cheviot House E 104 E 103 
			 Jobcentre Plus Watford Exchange House D 93 E 102 
			 Jobcentre Plus The Old Post House Braintree E 107 E 123 
			 Jobcentre Plus Greytown House Colchester E 115 E 110 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bridgend Crown Buildings E 110 E 101 
			 Jobcentre Plus Swansea Grove House C 67 E 106 
			 Jobcentre Plus Canterbury Nutwood House F 129 E 119 
			 Jobcentre Plus Brighton Windsor House E 106 E 104 
			 Jobcentre Plus Gravesend The Grove E 101 E 108 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lewes Medwyn House E 121 E 106 
			 Jobcentre Plus Winchester Citygate D 90 E 102 
			 Jobcentre Plus Worthing Crown Building E 122 E 115 
			 Jobcentre Plus St Georges House E 107 E 113 
			 Jobcentre Plus Redhill Jobcentre G 154 E 120 
			 Jobcentre Plus Maidstone County Gate 1 E 113 E 116 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bexleyheath Westminster House E 103 E 101 
			 Jobcentre Plus Kingston Brook Street E 109 E 107 
			 Jobcentre Plus Orpington The Walnuts E 114 E 109 
			 Jobcentre Plus Barking Phoenix House F 126 E 113 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Brixton Stockwell Road F 126 E 104 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Tottenham High Road 640-656 F 144 E 113 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Highgate Elthorne Road D 96 E 116 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Wandsworth Arndale Centre E 125 E 110 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Caxton House D 101 E 116 
			 Jobcentre Plus Balaam Street Plaistow E 106 E 108 
			 Jobcentre Plus Tramway Avenue Stratford E 124 E 106 
			 Jobcentre Plus Westbury Road Walthamstow E 101 E 103 
			 Jobcentre Plus Medina Road Finsbury Park E 121 E 115 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lisson Grove London E 121 E 117 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chadwick Street Westminster E 111 E 119 
			 Jobcentre Plus The Broadway Southall D 91 E 116 
			 Jobcentre Plus Regal House Torquay D 79 E 113 
			 Jobcentre Plus Middlesbrough James Cook House E 121 F 126 
			 Jobcentre Plus John Street Sunderland G 203 F 131 
			 Jobcentre Plus Liverpool High Park House (Toxteth) F 130 F 136 
			 Jobcentre Plus Sheffield Hartshead Square G 159 F 148 
			 Jobcentre Plus Wellingborough Lothersdale F 128 F 135 
			 Jobcentre Plus Charles Street Leicester E 120 F 127 
			 Jobcentre Plus Coventry Cofa Court F 144 F 150 
			 Jobcentre Plus Bayard House Walsall F 142 F 130 
			 Jobcentre Plus Hastings Ashdown House E 125 F 132 
			 Jobcentre Plus Gloucester Green Oxford F 134 F 129 
			 Jobcentre Plus Adelphi House Reading E 122 F 127 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Camden Tresco House F 146 F 146 
			 Jobcentre Plus Barnet Raydean House E 113 F 129 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Whitechapel Commercial Road G 176 F 137 
			 Jobcentre Plus Elmfield Road Bromley F 149 F 148 
			 Jobcentre Plus Settles Street Stepney G 199 F 139 
			 Jobcentre Plus 34 Windmill Hill Enfield G Default 200 F 127 
			 Jobcentre Plus Barnsbury Road Kings Cross G 163 F 146 
			 Jobcentre Plus Uxbridge Road London E 120 F 131 
			 Jobcentre Plus Woolwich Nelson House F 148 F 127 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Stratford Jubilee House G 164 G 151 
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Peckham Collyer Court G 204 G 204 
			 Jobcentre Plus St Johns Road Wembley F 141 G 157 
			 Jobcentre Plus Chatham The Brook D 94 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus JCP Gwent Square E 109 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Uxbridge Road Shepherds Bush F 149 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Staines Jobcentre Plus G 165 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Pennine House Washington G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Crewe Wellington House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Skelmersdale Wellmar House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Craven House Barrow-In-Furness G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Fleece Street Rochdale G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Lee-Moran House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Runcorn Job Centre Plus G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Cavendish Court G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Centurion House Castleford G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Liquorice Way Pontefract G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Lincoln Viking House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Leicester Rutland Centre DO002 G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus St Peters House Derby G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Kidderminster Crown House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Lichfield Guardian House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Halesowen Maybrook House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Redditch St Stephens House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Centennial House Birmingham G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Princess House Shrewsbury G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Haswell House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Kiln House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Gemini Centre G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Charles Street Cardiff G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Charles Street Newport G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Ramsgate Queens House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Ashford International House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Basingstoke Winchester Road G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Havant Elmleigh Road G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Aylesbury Sunley House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Bracknell Fitzwilliam House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus The Carriage House Tunbridge Wells G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Mill House Jobcentre G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Goldsworth Road Woking G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Canning Town Kilner House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Harrow Kings House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Edgware Middlesex House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Hounslow Montague Road G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus LDN Neasden Chancel House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Camden High Street London G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus 63-67 Newington Causeway London G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus High Street Peckham G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus 67 Upper Tooting Road Tooting London G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Old Town Clapham G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus 22 Glenhorne Road Hammersmith London G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus North Kensington JCP - DIE G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Prian House, Redruth G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Sherborne House, Newton Abbot G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Old Town Market Poole G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Plymouth Old Tree Court G Default 200 Awaiting results  
			 Jobcentre Plus Bournemouth Tamarisk House G Default 200 Awaiting results  
		
	
	
		
			  DWP buildings in Scotland 
			  Premises  n ame  Operational rating  Operational rating number  
			 Airbles Road E 78 Motherwell, Lanarkshire, ML1 3FA 
			 31-33 Whitburn Road G 118 Bathgate, West Lothian, EH48 1HG 
			 Driver  Vehicle Licensing Agency E 74 Glasgow, G2 6TT 
			 Units 15, 16A  16B Almondvale Centre, F+ 89 Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6NQ 
			 13 Dockhead Street E 77 Saltcoats, Ayrshire, KA21 5EZ 
			 779/787 Govan Road E+ 65 Glasgow, G51 3JY 
			 Shandwick Square Shopping Centre F+ 88 Glasgow, G34 9DR 
			 49a High Street D 54 Paisley, Renfrewshire, PA1 2AN 
			 20 Benalder Street D+ 47 Glasgow, G11 6QN 
			 105 Dalrymple Street D 59 Greenock, Renfrewshire, PA15 1DU 
			 10 South Avenue D+ 46 Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, G81 2LF 
			 245 Kilbowie Road D 50 Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, G81 2JN 
			 Commercial Road C+ 36 Lerwick, Shetland Islands, ZE1 0LQ 
			 1 Westside Plaza E 78 Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH14 2SP 
			 20 High Riggs E 76 Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH3 7HU 
			 10b Wellside Place F 100 Falkirk, FK1 5SE 
			 96 Milton Street D+ 51 Glasgow, G4 0DX 
			 Roxburgh Street E 72 Galashiels, TD1 1TD 
			 600 Windmillhill Street D+ 50 Motherwell, Lanarkshire, ML1 2HN 
			 417 Main Street D 56 Bellshill, Lanarkshire, ML4 1HU 
			 199 Commercial Street F+ 90 Edinburgh, EH6 6QP 
			 John Street E 80 Ayr, KA8 0BX 
			 12 Woodstock Street/Grange Street F+ 90 Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, KA1 2BN 
			 2 St Ninians Road E+ 61 Stirling, FK8 2HF 
			 Robertson Street C+ 35 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G2 8SP 
			 134 Wellington Street D 57 Glasgow, G2 2XL 
			 3 Gellatly Street G 102 Dundee, Angus DD1 3DX 
			 Wellgate Centre D 58 Dundee, City of Dundee, DD1 2DB 
			 29 Cadogan Street D 56 Glasgow, G2 7AB 
			 1460/1470 Maryhill Road E+ 63 Glasgow, G20 9DH 
			 Norman House The Forge E+ 67 Glasgow, City of Glasgow, G31 5NW 
			 955 Shettleston Road D+ 50 Glasgow, G32 7NY 
			 Greyfriars House D 58 Aberdeen, AB9 2ZU 
			 348 - 382 Argyle Street D+ 49 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G2 8LX 
			 21 Herschell Street Anniesland F+ 85 G13 1HT 
			 Foundry Street E 80 Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 9DF 
			 20 York Street E+ 66 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G2 8JH 
			 1 Almada Street D 57 Hamilton, ML3 0EH 
			 67-75 Irish Street E+ 70 Dumfries, Dumfries  Galloway, DG1 2PQ 
			 8 Coustonholm Road E 74 Glasgow, G43 1SS 
			 17 Girnigoe Street E 78 Wick, Caithness, KW1 4HL 
			 9 Muslin Street D+ 46 Glasgow, G40 4AZ 
			 200 Atlas Road/Wellfield Street F+ 82 Glasgow, G21 4DL 
			 6 Scarlow Street G 105 PA14 5EY 
			 1-7 Thistle Street And 11 Chapel Street E+ 74 Aberdeen, AB10 1EF 
			 12-14 Dee Street D 56 Aberdeen, City of Aberdeen, AB11 6DR 
			 13-21 Trinity Road F+ 89 Elgin, IV30 1UE 
			 (1) Scottish certificates valid 10 years.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what IT systems have been in development for use within her Department in the last five years; what the reason for the development of each system was; how much has been spent on the development of each system; and which systems have been subsequently (i) implemented, (ii) terminated prior to implementation and (iii) terminated following implementation.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which IT systems have been in development for use within her Department in the last three years; what the cost was of each such system; which such systems have been  (a) implemented,  (b) not implemented and  (c) implemented and subsequently terminated.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The information is not available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has a large change portfolio of projects and programmes to implement the Government's Welfare and Pensions reform agenda, to transact business more efficiently and improve customer service. It is not possible to separate out the IT elements of these projects.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent officials in her Department process claim forms for  (a) disability living allowance,  (b) attendance allowance,  (c) carer's allowance,  (d) incapacity benefit and  (e) employment and support allowance; and how many such forms were processed on average each working day for each benefit in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information about the number of full-time equivalent officials in the Department who process claim forms for disability living allowance, attendance allowance and carer's allowance, and about the number of forms processed on average for each benefit on each working day, is not currently available.
	The available information about the number of full-time equivalent staff who process claim forms for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance is in the table.
	
		
			  Average number of full-time equivalent officials: 2008-2009 by benefit processed 
			   Number 
			 Incapacity benefit new claims processing 675 
			 Employment and support allowance new claims processing 1,080 
			  Note:  Figures represent an average of 12 months permanent staff from April 2008 to March 2009.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Activity Based Management System.

Departmental Postal Services

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of postal services provided for her Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Jim Knight: DWP's has three postal providers:
	Royal Mail Group-DWP's primary provider for first and second class postal services between DWP, third parties and customers.
	UK Mail-a specific contract for system generated second class mail to DWP customers; the final mile is still delivered by Royal Mail.
	Spring Global Mail-a contract for international mail to DWP customers abroad.
	Based on actual DWP spend per supplier the following table provides the percentage breakdown comparison for these contracts.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			   2007  2008  1 January to 1 July 2009  1 July to 30 September 2009 
			  (a) Royal Mail 82.5 75.9 58.9 83.5 
			  (b) Other postal providers: 
			 UK Mail 16.2 22.9 39.8 15.7 
			 Spring Global Mail 1.3 1.2 1.3 0.8

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with which providers  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Jim Knight: DWP and it's agencies has utilised all of the following postal providers since 2007:
	
		
			  Postal provider  (i) 2007  (ii) 2008  (iii) 1 January 2009 to 1 July 2009  (iv) 1 July 2009 onwards 
			 Royal Mail Group Mail Provider-within UK Mail Provider-within UK Mail Provider-within UK Mail Provider-within UK 
			 UK Mail Mail Provider-within UK Mail Provider-within UK Mail Provider-within UK Mail Provider-within UK 
			 Spring Global Mail Mail Provider-international mail Mail Provider-international mail Mail Provider-international mail Mail Provider-international mail 
			 TNT Express Mail Courier Provider Courier Provider Courier Provider Courier Provider

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by her Department are published.

Jim Knight: As a matter of course, the Department for Work and Pensions publishes statistics from all of its datasets which meet the definition of official statistics set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and the National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics.

Disability Living Allowance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 880W, on disability living allowance, what the latest figures are for the number of persons claiming the mobility component of disability living allowance in respect of each type of disability; and how much was paid to claimants with each disability type at the  (a) higher and  (b) lower rate.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Disability Living Allowance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans she has for the future of disability living allowance; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We continuously keep the effectiveness of all benefits, including DLA, under review.

Electronic Government

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons the terms and conditions of the Directgov website prohibit photocopying of individual pages downloaded from the site.

Jim Knight: Directgov does not restrict its users from saving, printing or photocopying any material from direct.gov.uk article pages, the terms and conditions for which can be found at this page
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/SiteInformation/DG_020460
	and are governed by Crown Copyright. In summary,
	Crown copyright protected material (other than the Royal Arms and departmental or agency logos and photography) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context.
	Each Government service provided through Directgov may be subject to its own unique set of terms and conditions, which are based on the service offer, as well as the provision of third party datasets, which may restrict the use of specific datasets.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claimants of employment and support allowance had completed their work capability assessment within  (a) one and four weeks,  (b) five and eight weeks and  (c) nine and 13 weeks of the start of their claim on the latest date for which figures are available; what the average waiting time has been for a work capability assessment for claimants of employment and support allowance to be concluded; and what the average time taken between the undertaking of a work capability assessment and a decision maker's decision was.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The latest reliable cohort of ESA claims were for claims starting in April 2009. We use this cohort to estimate Atos advice timings of the assessment process:
	There were 100 (1 per cent.) completed within four weeks.
	An additional 2,100 (8 per cent.) were completed between five and eight weeks.
	An additional 9,700 (37 per cent.) were completed between nine and 13 weeks.
	Customers are able to backdate claims to before they first contact Jobcentre Plus and backdating was on average two weeks for incapacity benefit and it is expected that this will be the same for ESA. Therefore, the figures above show the technical time between when the claim was made and the completed Work Capability Assessment but the true time that Jobcentre Plus and Atos have to work cases may be shorter.
	A more accurate reflection of the amount of cases that pass through the process within 13 weeks would be determined by taking into account factors, such as, the time taken to return paperwork, whether their condition can be assessed on paper based evidence alone, whether further medical evidence is required or requested and whether a customer actually attends their initial appointment or it has to be re-scheduled. This information is not currently available but we will continue to undertake analysis of performance as the ESA regime beds in.
	We do not hold information centrally on the time taken from Atos providing medical advice to the JCP decision maker's final decision.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	 Notes:
	Data are based on time from claim start to completion of advice provided by Atos Healthcare. ESA claimants can backdate their claim before the time they first contact Jobcentre Plus to make a claim. Timings will therefore include any backdating of claims. For IB claims the average length of time claims were backdated was around two weeks and we expect the length to be similar for ESA claims. We do not hold information centrally on the time taken from Atos advice to the JCP decision maker's final decision.
	WCA assessments take a number of weeks to complete and will assess a broad range of people whose assessments will take longer or shorter to complete depending on the details of their claim, such as: time taken to return paperwork, whether their condition can be assessed on paper based evidence alone, whether additional evidence is required and whether a claimant attends their initial appointment or it has to be re-scheduled. This inevitably means there are a number of claims in any cohort which are still outstanding many weeks after the start of the claim. The response takes a pragmatic approach by using the latest cohort we can reliably use that we do not expect includes a large number of un-cleared cases (by comparison with earlier cohorts which are more fully cleared), i.e. ESA claims which began in April 2009. Theses timings may change slightly if we reassess them at a later date as more assessments are completed.

Employment and Support Allowance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when she plans to introduce  (a) a skills screen for employment and support allowance claimants after the start of a claim and  (b) a mandatory skills health check at a later point in their claim when appropriate;
	(2)  when she plans to introduce pilots for mandatory skills health checks for long-term jobseeker's allowance claimants;
	(3)  when she plans to introduce a skills screen for all new jobseeker's allowance claimants;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of new lone parent income support claimants have attended a full skills health check;
	(5)  how many and what proportion of new lone parent income support claimants have received a skills screen as part of their work focused interview.

Jim Knight: Skills screening has already been introduced for all new jobseeker's allowance claimants. In the 12 Jobcentre Plus districts involved in trialling integrated employment and skills services, JSA claimants who have not attended a skills health check on a voluntary basis by week 26 of their claim are mandated to do so.
	Lone parent customers are not encompassed by IES trials activity and therefore do not receive skills screening or a referral to skills health checks. Although lone parent income support claimants may attend a skills health check on a voluntary basis, no data is currently collected.
	No decisions have as yet been made about the introduction of skills screening and health checks for customer groups other than JSA claimants. This will be considered as part of planning for the national implementation of an integrated employment and skills service for JSA customers in 2010-11.

Employment and Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether decisions relating to individuals' requirements for a second medical assessment for employment support allowance may be made by persons other than Ministers; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Customers dissatisfied with a medical examination undertaken by the DWP medical services provider, Atos Healthcare, are advised to contact the Atos Healthcare national customer relations team with their concerns. All complaints of dissatisfaction with a medial examination received by Atos Healthcare are investigated and complaints which relate to the medical examination are scrutinised by an experienced senior disability analyst doctor to ensure that the medical report is reasonable and justifiable. Where a medical report is found to be deficient, the national customer relations team at Atos Healthcare will advise the DWP decision maker of the deficiencies. It is the DWP who are responsible for requesting Atos Healthcare to undertake a secondary medical examination if they feel it is necessary.

Employment Schemes: Expenditure

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent estimate is of the average cost to her Department of a work experience placement for an 18 to 24-year-old jobseeker.

Jim Knight: The cost of work experience placements vary depending on their length and design. The Department is introducing work experience placements through the Community Task Force and Backing Young Britain. Work experience placements are also currently delivered through the New Deal for Young People. Details on these placements and their costs are provided as follows.
	From January 2010 the Department is implementing the Community Task Force to provide work experience placements for young people of up to 26 weeks as part of the Young Person's Guarantee. The following table shows the indicative budget and indicative number of starts published in the Community Task Force phase 1 Invitation to Tender, and the indicative budget divided by indicative starts.(1)
	The table also shows the expected costs of work experience placements delivered as part of Backing Young Britain which was announced on 29 July 2009. The work experience placements will become available from early 2010 and will last for two weeks.
	
		
			  Programme  Indicative expected  total programme expenditure January 2010 to September 2011 (£ million)  I ndicative total  number of expected starts  Indicative average cost per person (£ million) 
			 Community task force(1) 78,240 63,600 1,250 
			 Backing Young Britain (work experience) 1.2(2) 3,000 400 
			 (1) The number of indicative Community Task Force (CTF) starts includes young people undertaking 13 weeks of work experience, young people undertaking an addition 13-week period of work experience and young people undertaking a period of work experience to complete their period of full-time activity under the Young Person's Guarantee (YPG). (2) Figures up to March 2011. 
		
	
	In addition, the New Deal for Young People provides 13-week work experience placements through the Voluntary and Environment Task Force Options. The average costs of these options is summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Programme  Total programme expenditure in 2008-09 (£ million)  Total number of recorded starts  Average cost per person (£ million) 
			 New Deal for Young People (voluntary sector option) 22.2 29,571 750 
			 New Deal for Young People (environmental task force option) 12.4 12,528 1,000

Employment Services: Executives

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people who have received assistance from the Government's support for unemployed professionals and executives in each month since April 2009.

Jim Knight: This information will be available in early 2010.

Employment Training

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she is taking to provide opportunities for training and education for unemployed people with  (a) learning disabilities and  (b) other disabilities.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to building pan-disability services for its customers, where provision is flexible and based on individual need, rather than a 'one size fits all' approach.
	The Department for Work and Pensions current range of disability employment provision in place across England, Scotland and Wales, including Pathways to Work, Work Preparation and Workstep already offer disabled customers the chance to improve their skills and knowledge in areas such as job search, confidence building, CV and interview preparation, work placements and as an employee in supported employment.
	In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have jointly developed an employment and skills strategy to improve and integrate the employment and skills services to better help customers identify and gain the skills they need to find sustainable employment and progress in work and learning.
	An integrated employment and skills service is being trialled in 12 Jobcentre Plus districts in England designed to meet the needs of those groups who are at a disadvantage in the labour market, including disabled people, to provide a customised service to the individual.
	A new universal adult advancement and careers service is being trialled now and will be rolled out in England from autumn 2010. The service is available to all adults (not just Jobcentre Plus customers) and is targeted at the most disadvantaged in the labour market, including people with a learning disability or any other disability.
	In June 2009, Valuing Employment Now was launched in England. This cross-Government strategy sets out an ambitious goal to increase radically the number of people with learning disabilities in employment by 2025. We aspire to close the gap between the employment rate of adults with moderate and severe learning disabilities and that of the disabled population as a whole.
	Foundation learning, to be launched in April 2010 in England, for people with learning disabilities, will be of considerable help and support to them in the labour market. It will establish a structured curriculum leading to employment pathways and enhance opportunities for supported employment.
	Apprenticeships in England are available to everyone and can help remove barriers to employment, providing additional support to enable people to train. Flexibilities are available to employers/providers to make it easier for a disabled person to gain entry to an apprenticeship.
	On 30 October, we announced that 14 sites in England will take part in a Government evaluation of Project Search from next September. Project Search provides a series of internships with an employer for people with learning disabilities and helps them to develop the work and social skills they need to access real jobs.
	The Department for Work and Pensions also currently contracts with nine residential training colleges to deliver a training programme through specialist services, facilities, learning and employment support, for disabled people facing the most significant or complex barriers to finding and keeping work. Provision includes qualification-based courses of vocational training leading to nationally recognised qualifications alongside job search and placements or work experience.

Employment: Chronically Sick

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health to reduce the number of benefit recipients who have chronic debilitating conditions being brought into the productive workforce.

Jim Knight: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions met with the Secretary of State for Health recently and their discussion included what support is available for disabled people and those with health conditions, including Pathways to Work and the Condition Management Programme. Further details will be set out in the Back to Work White Paper.
	Evidence shows that being out of work is bad for physical and mental health-while being in work generally leads to improved health outcomes and ultimately helps disabled people and those with health conditions live fulfilling and independent lives.
	From 27 October 2008, we replaced incapacity benefits for new customers with the employment and support allowance. The employment and support allowance has a revised medical assessment, the work capability assessment, which focuses on what people can do, as well as what they cannot.
	There is absolutely no intention of forcing those who can not work into jobs. We will not require anybody on employment and support allowance to apply for or take up specific jobs. The work capability assessment identifies those customers who should, and who should not, be expected to prepare to return to work.
	Those in the work-related activity group are expected to engage with a personalised programme of support. This will help them to move into employment as soon as they are ready. The evidence of the beneficial impact of work, including for those with a health condition or disability, is too strong to ignore.
	Those in the support group do not have to engage in work-focused interviews or work-related activity unless they so wish.
	Our Departments are committed to working together in order to praise effective support for people with health conditions.

Employment: Lone Parents

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have received support and guidance from personal advisers since it became available nationally for all lone parents once they have moved into work.

Helen Goodman: In Work Advisory Support was introduced in April 2008.
	14,720 eligible lone parents have received In Work Advisory Support from personal advisers once they moved into work between 26 August 2008 and the end of September 2009, the most recent period for which figures are available.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many successful bids under the Future Jobs Fund included  (a) a worklessness assessment and  (b) a work and skills plan.

Jim Knight: As a condition of local authority led partnerships receiving Future Jobs Fund funding they explicitly had to agree to complete a worklessness assessment and a work and skills plan by April 2010.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many successful Future Jobs Fund bids there have been; what estimate she has made of the  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum number of jobs to be created under such bids; and how many such jobs are open for applications.

Jim Knight: There have been 195 successful Future Jobs Fund Bids in the first four rounds of bidding.
	Successful bids will create:
	Tranche 1 up to 75,400
	Tranche 2 up to 7,500
	Tranche 3 up to 4,400
	Tranche 4 up to 7,200 (Tranche 4 figure does not include Scotland which will be announced on 12 November)
	We have not estimated the minimum numbers that each bid will create; however as part of the bidding criteria, all bidders are required to create at least 30 jobs.
	We will be publishing official statistics on the number of people participating in the Future Jobs Fund in spring 2010. Until then data regarding how many such jobs are open for applications are not available.

Housing Benefit: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Peterborough constituency were in receipt of housing benefit on the latest date for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming  (a) incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance,  (b) jobseeker's allowance and  (c) income support started the claim before 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers claiming benefits continuously since 1996, by benefit: Great Britain as at February 2009 
			   Number 
			 Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance 570,950 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance 330 
			 Income Support 75,590 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. For the purposes of presenting the statistics in this table, benefits are arranged hierarchically and claimants are assigned to the topmost benefit which they receive: (i) Jobseeker's Allowance-Claimant of Job Seekers Allowance. (ii) Incapacity Benefits-Claimant of either Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance. (iii) Income Support-claimants include lone parents (claimant of income support with a child under 16 and no partner), carer's allowance (in this case must also be receiving income support) and others on income related benefit-other income support claimants (including IS disability premiums).  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many layers of line management there are in Jobcentre Plus between board members and frontline staff.

Jim Knight: There are no layers of line management in Jobcentre Plus between Board members and frontline staff.

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the charge per minute is of a telephone call to Jobseekers Direct from  (a) at BT landline,  (b) a landline operated by another provider and  (c) a mobile telephone; and which organisation holds the contract for operating the Jobseekers Direct telephone service on behalf of Jobcentre Plus.

Jim Knight: The Department's strategy is that calls to claim benefit should be free to a customer so it uses 0800 freephone numbers for these calls. For calls for other reasons, including Jobseekers Direct, which typically take less time to resolve, the Department uses 0845 numbers.
	BT, the largest landline provider, does not charge for 0845 calls where the customer has a call plan and the call is made within the call plan times. Where this is not the case, charges are typically in the range of 2p to 4p per minute.
	From landlines operated by other providers, research carried out earlier this year shows a range of charges varying from 'free' to 7p per minute.
	For calls to 0845 numbers from mobiles, research carried out earlier this year shows charges are typically in the range of 10p to 40p per minute, depending on the package chosen. These rates can vary as mobile providers change their charging policy.

Jobcentre Plus: Training

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is provided to frontline staff in Jobcentre Plus on awareness of autism; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is the responsibility of the acting chief executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what training is provided to frontline staff in Jobcentre Plus on awareness of autism. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	There is no single set of procedures to be followed by advisers which are solely focused on helping people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder into work. Jobcentre Plus policy is to develop its staff in the skills required to support a range of customers and to respect their individual needs, including those related to their health conditions. This approach ensures that they are equipped to deal with a diverse set of circumstances whilst treating customers as individuals. Skilled employment advisers look at the interaction between the person, the job and the person's ability. Advisers ensure that job goals relate to the person's abilities and that relevant solutions are identified in order to overcome any barriers a customer might face in a particular job.
	The learning programme for Jobcentre Plus advisers focuses on raising awareness of the customer's personal circumstances and the impact on their ability to move into a sustainable job. Jobcentre Plus also recognises that disabilities and health conditions can affect individuals in different ways and will change overtime. Guidance for advisers includes background information on a number of conditions, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, the implications for interviews and how to use questioning techniques in order to support customers. Disability Employment Advisers, who focus on customers needing more extensive support, receive further levels of skills training appropriate to their customers, including skills practice in interviewing an autistic person to ensure key learning points are communicated in an effective way.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when she plans to reply to the letter of 15 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Burt;
	(2)  when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 15 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Burt;
	(3)  when she plans to reply to question 296120, tabled on 22 October 2009 by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on correspondence with Mr. Burt.

Jim Knight: Due to the complexities of the issues raised it has not been possible to reply to my right hon. Friend's correspondence as speedily as we would have wished. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will write to my right hon. Friend as soon as she is able to provide a full response to the issues he has raised on behalf of his constituent.

Members: Correspondence

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to reply to the hon. Member for North Essex's letter of 28 September 2009 on his constituent Mr. Mark Esquilant's requirement for a second medical assessment for employment support allowance; for what reasons the letter was sent on to Atos Origin for reply; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 11 November 2009. The hon. Member's letter of 28 September 2009 was not passed to Atos Origin for reply. However, Atos Origin was contacted in order to gather information and establish factual circumstances around Mr. Esquilant's complaint.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to respond to question 296734, on Child Support Agency staff, tabled on 28 October 2009.

Helen Goodman: I have replied to the hon. Member's question today.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have found employment as a result of participating in the New Deal in  (a) Vale of Clwyd and  (b) each region in each year since its implementation.

Jim Knight: The information is in the following tables:
	
		
			  Jobs gained through New Deal: Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency Part 1 
			  Thousand 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 Vale of Clwyd 0.09 0.28 0.37 0.28 0.44 0.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobs gained through New Deal: Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency Part 2 
			  Thousand 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 ( 1) 2009  Total 
			 Vale of Clwyd 0.46 0.35 0.28 0.39 0.30 0.02 3.72 
			  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate. 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobs gained through New Deal: Jobcentre Plus Region Part 1 
			  Thousand 
			  Region  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 East Midlands 5.02 12.49 12.89 13.28 15.12 16.23 
			 East of England 5.30 12.37 12.69 11.46 13.53 14.96 
			 London 11.73 28.73 28.50 24.69 28.65 34.06 
			 North East 5.87 14.41 14.98 15.84 17.39 20.47 
			 North West 11.39 28.66 30.80 29.30 33.82 36.58 
			 Scotland 9.04 22.09 22.72 23.42 28.95 33.79 
			 South East 6.16 16.23 16.16 14.83 16.54 18.58 
			 South West 5.80 13.90 14.44 14.46 17.99 21.13 
			 Wales 5.73 13.17 12.61 13.80 17.19 20.24 
			 West Midlands 7.97 18.82 19.54 21.08 23.36 26.27 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 10.23 23.05 23.42 23.05 25.61 28.38 
			 Missing 0.52 1.25 1.46 1.38 0.91 1.52 
			 Total 84.76 205.13 210.21 206.59 239.04 272.20 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobs gained through New Deal: Jobcentre Plus Region Part 2 
			  Thousand 
			  Region  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 ( 1) 2009  Total 
			 East Midlands 18.18 16.34 14.99 17.12 15.93 1.72 159.31 
			 East of England 18.41 17.97 15.20 17.48 16.96 1.83 158.15 
			 London 37.73 35.73 31.97 36.73 32.41 3.86 334.78 
			 North East 22.02 20.07 17.45 20.54 22.55 2.94 194.55 
			 North West 41.14 37.79 31.61 37.37 37.46 5.01 360.93 
			 Scotland 37.77 34.94 28.33 31.72 27.69 3.67 304.07 
			 South East 21.32 20.19 18.42 21.83 21.12 2.18 193.58 
			 South West 26.12 21.83 17.09 18.52 16.13 1.87 189.26 
			 Wales 22.25 20.33 16.96 18.26 16.62 1.99 179.14 
			 West Midlands 28.71 24.89 22.16 26.84 23.53 2.92 246.10 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 29.72 24.81 23.08 28.50 25.80 3.22 268.84 
			 Missing 2.17 2.84 2.69 3.25 3.61 0.44 22.06 
			 Total 305.57 277.69 239.98 278.14 259.83 31.64 2,610.74 
			 (1)Latest data are to February 2009.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and displayed in thousands. 2. The year of entering job is the calendar year that the job was gained. 3. Westminster parliamentary constituency (post May 2005) is allocated using the ONS Postcode Directory and customer's postcode. 4. New Deal for Young People started January 1998. 5. New Deal for Lone Parents started October 1998.  6. New Deal 50+: 98,040 jobs were gained by individuals who had received employment credit up to March 2003. 7. New Deal for Partners: 1,860 jobs were gained by participants on New Deal for Partners up to March 2004. 8. Spells information is unavailable for New Deal 50+ and New Deal for Partners, so individual level information is given instead. 9. New Deal for Disabled People started in July 2001. Since the introduction of Provider-Led Pathways to Work, New Deal for Disabled People has been available only in Jobcentre Plus Pathways to Work districts. Phase 1 Provider-Led Pathways to Work was implemented in December 2007 and Phase 2 in April 2008. Provider-Led Pathways to Work covers 60 per cent. of the country. 10. Some individuals may have had more than one job start. 11. The row titled Missing are jobs gained, but a region was not entered against that record.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

New Deal: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Peterborough constituency have participated in a New Deal scheme in each year since 2005.

Jim Knight: The figures are set out in the following table. They show the number of starts on New Deal in each year and some individuals may be included twice.
	Starters (spells) on all New Deal schemes in Peterborough constituency:
	
		
			   Number of New Deal starters in Peterborough constituency 
			 2005 1,000 
			 2006 890 
			 2007 1,280 
			 2008 1,060 
			 2009(1) 460 
			 (1) The latest data for 2009 are up to August.  Notes: 1. The figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The Westminster parliamentary constituency (post May 2005) is allocated using the ONS Postcode Directory and customer's postcode. 3. The year of starting is the calendar year of starting New Deal. 4. Starters (spells) information is not available for New Deal 50 Plus or New Deal for Partners so Starters (individuals) data have been used instead for these schemes. This means that for these schemes only an individual's most recent spell on that New Deal is recorded.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate. 
		
	
	The information contained in this reply is available in the public domain at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp

Part-Time Employment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people in each  (a) region,  (b) local authority and  (c) parliamentary constituency who are in part-time work because they have been unable to find full-time employment.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of people in each  (a) region,  (b) local authority and  (c) parliamentary constituency who are in part-time work because they have been unable to find full-time employment. (298869)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles detailed employment statistics for regions and local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Table 1 shows the number of persons who stated that their reason for working part-time was that they could not find a full-time job. Figures are for the 12 month period ending March 2009 for Government Office Regions. Estimates are not available at small geographies such as local authorities and parliamentary constituencies.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in Table 1.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1 ) whose reason for working part-time was could not find full-time job, April 2008 to March 2009 
			   T housand 
			 East **65 
			 East Midlands **58 
			 London **107 
			 North East **39 
			 North West **87 
			 Scotland **65 
			 South East **91 
			 South West **68 
			 Wales **42 
			 West Midlands **68 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber **60 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, see guide to quality as follows:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 = CV 5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV  10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Population Survey

Pensioners: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 170W, on pensioners: females, what proportion of claimants of each benefit was under the age of 30 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The requested information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  The number and proportion of adults aged under 30 claiming key working age benefits by statistical group-February 2009 
			   Adults under 30  Total  Proportion (percentage) 
			  Statistical group
			 Jobseeker 637,820 1,421,600 44.9 
			 Employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits 320,420 2,644,430 12.1 
			 Lone parents 319,010 736,040 43.3 
			 Carer 39,790 796,110 5.0 
			 Others on income-related benefits 45,920 2,497,440 1.8 
			 Disabled 106,750 2,093,430 5.1 
			 Bereaved 550 105,050 0.5 
			 Total 1,470,260 18,540,960 7.9 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten and percentages to one decimal place. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Adults are classed as people aged 16 and over. 3. Caseload figures for Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance and Disability Living Allowance include those cases with entitlement but where payment is currently suspended (for example, because of an extended stay in hospital or an overlapping benefit). 4. The figures relating to Employment and Support Allowance have been thoroughly quality assured to National Statistics standard; however, it should be noted that this is a new benefit using a new data source which may not have reached steady state in terms of operational processing and retrospection. Therefore the working age client group figures (excluding Jobseeker's Allowance) for February 2009 are provisional. 5. Statistical Group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible; for example, a claimant of Disability Living Allowance and Jobseeker's Allowance would appear in 'Jobseeker', not in 'Disabled'. 6. Data are published at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/stgp/cnage/ccstatgp/a_carate_r_cnage_c_ccstatgp_feb09.html 7. For a small number of claimants it is not possible to determine their age. For the purposes of this table it has been assumed that they are aged 30 years or over.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Pensioners: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what her latest estimate is of the number of women due to reach state pension age in each month of the next seven years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what her latest estimate is of the number of women due to reach state pension age in each year between 2010 and 2026; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions regarding the latest estimate of the number of women who will reach state pension age in each month of the next seven years (293580) and the latest estimate of the number of women due to reach state pension age in each year between 2010 and 2026.(293581)
	These figures are not available immediately but ONS will place a copy of the tables in the House of Commons library once the appropriate analysis has been undertaken.

Pensions: Expenditure

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of  (a) gross and  (b) net cost of restoring the link between the basic state pension and earnings in each year between 2010 and 2015.

Angela Eagle: The basic state pension is increased by 2.5 per cent. when this is higher than September RPI inflation. This will apply in 2010, which means that the increase in the basic state pension will also exceed growth in average earnings.
	The gross and net additional basic state pension spend due to increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2010 and the 2007 Pensions Act reforms are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Additional basic state pension spend due to pension reform and uprating the basic state pension by earnings from 2010-11, 2009-10 price terms 
			  £ billions 
			   Gross  Net of income related benefits 
			 2010-11 -0.5 -0.4 
			 2011-12 -0.8 -0.6 
			 2012-13 -1.2 -0.8 
			 2013-14 -0.8 -0.6 
			 2014-15 -0.2 -0.3 
			  Notes:  1. Baseline published projections of expenditure on pensioner benefits assume that the basic state pension is increased by earnings from 2012. Prior to 2012, projections assume that the basic state pension is uprated by the greater of RPI or 2.5 per cent.  2. Estimates given show the gross additional basic state pension spend due to increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2010 and implementing all of the other 2007 Pensions Act reforms to the basic state pension from April 2010 relative to uprating by RPI or 2.5 per cent. They also reflect the estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit). During the next Parliament, we will re-link the uprating of the basic state pension to average earnings. Our objective, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, is to do this in 2012, but in any event by the end of the next Parliament at the latest. We will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament.  3. In the financial years up to and including 2014-15 Treasury Economic assumptions consistent with Table C1 of the Budget report 2009 have been used to model earnings uprating.  4. The costs and savings estimates provided are based on future projections of earnings and price inflation-which are inherently uncertain and subject to change particularly in light of the current economic uncertainty. This is underlined by the fact that the estimated cost of earnings uprating has changed significantly from estimates based on Treasury Economic Assumptions consistent with Table B1 of the pre-Budget report 2008.  5. Generally earnings rise faster than prices resulting in a greater cost from earnings uprating that would build over time-this would still be expected to hold over the medium and long term. Therefore despite the initial savings produced under current inflation forecasts, the introduction of earnings uprating would still be expected to increase expenditure on the basic state pension significantly as the cumulative costs of this policy grow over time.  6. If the restoration of the earnings link to the basic state pension were brought forward to 2010, the weekly value of the basic state pension to pensioners would be below the 2.5 per cent. increase committed to by the Chancellor at Budget 2009.  7. Estimates are in 2009-10 prices, have been rounded to the nearest £100 million and include UK and Overseas claimants.  Source:  DWP modelling.

Pensions: Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of pension mis-selling there have been in  (a) Vale of Clwyd and  (b) each region in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not hold the figures requested.

Return to Work Credit

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance claimants have claimed a return to work credit since its introduction.

Jonathan R Shaw: Between 27 October 2003 and 31 January 2009, 92,500 individuals claimed the return to work credit.

Social Security Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of expected  (a) on-flows,  (b) off-flows and  (c) stock claimant numbers for (i) incapacity benefit (credits only), (ii) incapacity benefit (benefits), (iii) severe disablement allowance and (iv) employment and support allowance in the (A) support and (B) work-related activity group in each of the next five years;
	(2)  what the estimated  (a) on-flow and  (b) off-flow for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) jobseeker's allowance are for each year to 2012-13 (A) with and (B) without implementation of the proposed policy changes contained in Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future.

Jim Knight: The policy changes contained within Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future were not reflected in our caseload assumptions for Budget 2009 as final decisions on the shape and timing of the conversion exercise from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance had not then been made. Revised forecasts will be issued shortly following the pre-Budget report which will reflect those changes. Details of which will be published in the normal way.

Social Security Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pilots are in place to test arrangements to improve links between housing organisations and Jobcentre Plus services.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked the Acting Chief Executive to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what pilots are in place to test arrangements to improve links between housing organisations and Jobcentre Plus services. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus engages with housing organisations at the delivery level through its partnership activity led by External Relations Managers. How and to what extent Jobcentre Plus Districts decide to do this is largely a matter for local discretion, balanced with wider business and partnership needs.
	However, I am aware of the strong links between social housing and worklessness, and indeed, other measures of deprivation. Housing organisations have become increasingly important partners in delivering services to those most at risk of long term benefit dependency. We have common goals in helping social tenants to find and progress in work.
	I have asked three Jobcentre Plus Districts (South London, Merseyside, and South Tyne and Wear Valley) to establish small teams of advisers to develop stronger links with social housing providers and with other local partner organisations. We are working with social housing organisations and with colleagues in Communities and Local Government (CLG) to deliver this estates-based approach. Jobcentre Plus advisers are working directly in local communities with high levels of social housing and high levels of deprivation. Their role is to engage with workless people who may otherwise be unlikely to take full advantage of the help available to them. The Teams offer a joined up service, through the support available from Jobcentre Plus and its partners, helping people move closer to, and into, work.
	The approach is being overseen by a national Steering Group which includes representatives from the social housing sector and CLG. We will be reviewing how effective this enhanced partnership working can be in improving links between housing organisations and Jobcentre Plus.

Social Security Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of households  (a) in total and  (b) with at least one person of working age which were in receipt of benefits in excess of (i) £15,000, (ii) £20,000, (iii) £25,000, (iv) £30,000, (v) £40,000, (vi) £50,000 and (vii) £75,000 in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The available information is in the tables. The information is taken from the Family Resources Survey 1997-98 to 2007-08. Sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for households in receipt of benefits of £25,000 or more in any year.
	The Family Resources Survey includes declared income from the full range of social security benefits administered by Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency and local authorities; it does not include income from tax credits. The amount of benefits a family receives is entirely dependent on its individual circumstances.
	
		
			  N umber of households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 per year, in real terms and as a percentage of all households in the survey area, in 2007-08 prices in each year since 1997-98 
			   Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a.  Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a. as a percentage of all households 
			 1997-98 600,000 3 
			 1998-99 700,000 3 
			 1999-2000 700,000 3 
			 2000-01 700,000 3 
			 2001-02 900,000 4 
			 2002-03 900,000 4 
			 2003-04 1,000,000 4 
			 2004-05 1,100,000 4 
			 2005-06 1,100,000 4 
			 2006-07 1,100,000 4 
			 2007-08 1,200,000 4 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of households receiving benefits in excess of £20,000 per year, in real terms and as a percentage of all households in the survey area, in 2007-08 prices in each year since 1997-98 
			   Households receiving benefits in excess of £20,000 p.a.  Households receiving benefits in excess of £20,000 p. a. as a percentage of all households 
			 1997-98 100,000 1 
			 1998-99 100,000 1 
			 1999-00 100,000 1 
			 2000-01 100,000 1 
			 2001-02 200,000 1 
			 2002-03 200,000 1 
			 2003-04 300,000 1 
			 2004-05 300,000 1 
			 2005-06 300,000 1 
			 2006-07 200,000 1 
			 2007-08 300,000 1 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of households with at least one working-age person receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 per year, in real terms and as a percentage of all households in the survey area, in 2007-08 prices in each year since 1997-98 
			   Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a.  Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a. as a percentage of all households 
			 1997-98 500,000 2 
			 1998-99 500,000 2 
			 1999-00 500,000 2 
			 2000-01 500,000 2 
			 2001-02 700,000 3 
			 2002-03 600,000 3 
			 2003-04 700,000 3 
			 2004-05 700,000 3 
			 2005-06 700,000 3 
			 2006-07 600,000 2 
			 2007-08 600,000 2 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of households with at least one working-age person receiving benefits in excess of £20,000 per year, in real terms and as a percentage of all households in the survey area, in 2007-08 prices in each year since 1997-98 
			   Households receiving benefits in excess of £20,000 p.a.  Households receiving benefits in excess of £20,000 p.a. as a percentage of all households 
			 1997-98 100,000 1 
			 1998-99 100,000 1 
			 1999-00 100,000 0 
			 2000-01 100,000 0 
			 2001-02 200,000 1 
			 2002-03 200,000 1 
			 2003-04 200,000 1 
			 2004-05 200,000 1 
			 2005-06 200,000 1 
			 2006-07 200,000 1 
			 2007-08 200,000 1 
			  Notes: 1. The Family Resources Survey is a nationally representative sample of approximately 25,000 households for the latest year reported. 2. Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. 3. Percentages to the nearest 1 per cent. figures of 0 per cent. represent those of less than 0.5 per cent. 4. The figures for those with benefits in excess of £15,000 includes those with benefits in excess of £20,000 5. Results are for Great Britain up to and including 2001-02, and for the UK from 2002-03 onwards. 6. The thresholds in years before 2007-08 have been deflated by the Retail Price Index. 7. Data for each year were collected between April and the following March. 8. The figures are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the FRS to Government Office Region populations by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-response error. 9. Benefit receipt is based on self-assessment and therefore may be subject to misreporting. 10. Tax credits have not been included in benefit income.  Source:  Family Resources Survey 1997-98 to 2007-08

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations she has received on the time taken to arrange medical examinations for benefit claimants; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department has recently received correspondence from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents, correspondence from customers directly and parliamentary questions regarding medical examinations for benefit claimants, which have questions about the time taken to arrange examinations. However, it is not possible to give a further breakdown.

Unemployed: Work Experience

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 724W, on employment schemes, how many employers have entered into formal agreements with Jobcentre Plus to provide work trials in each of the last 24 months; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

Unemployment: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those resident in Coventry are economically inactive; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The following table shows employment and inactivity in Coventry by local authority district and in the hon. Member's constituency.
	
		
			  March 2009 
			  Employment and inactivity  Percentage/number 
			  Inactivity Rate (Working Age)  
			 Coventry Local Authority District (Percentage) 27.5 
			 Coventry South Parliamentary Constituency (Percentage) 31.5 
			   
			  Inactivity Level (Working Age)  
			 Coventry Local Authority District (Number) 53,500 
			 Coventry South Parliamentary Constituency (Number) 20,400 
			  Note: Constituency employment and inactivity rates are based on small samples from the Annual Population Survey, and therefore should be treated as a guide.  Source: Annual Population Survey at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/

Unemployment: Disabled

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she is taking to reduce the level of unemployment among people with learning disabilities.

Jonathan R Shaw: Valuing Employment Now was published in June 2009. This strategy sets out the Government's goal to radically improve employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities in England.
	Following the publication of Valuing Employment Now, the Department for Work and Pensions and Scottish Government officials are working together to identify the impact of this strategy in improving the employment rate of people with learning disabilities in Scotland.

Vocational Training

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have participated in Back to Work seminars since their introduction.

Jim Knight: The Back to Work session was introduced in 28 out of 48 Jobcentre Plus districts in April 2009. The remaining districts will introduce the new programme from April 2010. Between April and October over 460,000 people have attended a Back to Work session

Vocational Training

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to introduce pilots of mandatory basic skills and job-focused training courses for jobseeker's allowance claimants who have been on benefit for six months.

Jim Knight: We are currently designing a pilot for jobseeker's allowance customers who have been on benefit for six months and for whom skills are a barrier to obtaining sustainable employment. It will test whether the introduction of mandatory skills training impacts on training and job outcomes for these customers. We intend the pilot to begin in 2010.
	People with basic skills needs are able to train from the beginning of their claim, through the Employability Skills Programme. The programme offers Jobcentre Plus customers aged 18 and over a full or part-time learning programme.

Vocational Training

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to introduce training allowances for long-term jobseeker's allowance claimants to attend intensive employability-focused training of up to eight weeks.

Jim Knight: Since April 2009, anyone who has been unemployed more than six months has been able to study full-time for up to eight weeks on a job-related training course approved by an employment adviser. Customers are moved to a training allowance for the duration of the course.
	Under the Day One Offer, jobseekers can access a number of schemes and initiatives from day one of their claim. The available training includes help with jobsearch techniques, an extension of the Local Employment Partnerships and basic courses in literacy and numeracy for those who need them.

Winter Fuel Payments: Chronically Sick

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether terminally ill people under the age of 65 are entitled to receive the winter fuel payment.

Angela Eagle: Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 or over including those who are terminally ill.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to answer question 295425, on age discrimination, tabled on 20 October 2009.

Michael Jabez Foster: I have answered question 295425 today.

TREASURY

Bank Services

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 65W, on bank services, if he will publish the quantitative and qualitative data that HM Treasury has collected in the last two years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Relevant data that the Treasury has had regard to over the past two years were published in Chapter 9 of the White Paper Reforming Financial Markets on 8 July 2009.

Banks: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the level of taxpayer exposure to banking sector loans and mortgages.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: At Budget 2009, the Government provisionally estimated that net unrealised losses on financial sector interventions might lie within a potential range from £20 billion to £50 billion (or 1.5 per cent. to 3.5 per cent. of GDP).
	The Government are continuing to develop estimates of losses as schemes are finalised, and as market conditions normalise. They will provide an update on their estimate at the pre-Budget report in December.

Banks: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much new capital was  (a) committed to and  (b) paid to UK banks from the public purse in the last two years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Details of the Government's capital injections into UK banks for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09 are set out in HM Treasury's Resource Accounts for 2007-08 (HC 539) and 2008-09 (HC 611), respectively. HM Treasury's Resource Accounts are available in the House of Commons Library.

Banks: Government Shareholding

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the amount that would be raised by the sale of Government-owned shares in  (a) Royal Bank of Scotland and  (b) Lloyds Banking Group assuming the Government could sell the shares at a five per cent. discount to the market price.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government currently hold 39,645 million ordinary shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
	The Government currently hold 11,799 million ordinary shares in the Lloyds Banking Group (LBG).
	Details of the Government's equity investments in Royal Bank of Scotland and the Lloyds Banking Group are set out in HM Treasury's Resource Accounts for 2008-09 (HC 611).
	The amount raised from the disposal of these investments would depend on the market price of the shares at the point of sale.

Banks: Pay

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to require UK Financial Investments to seek publication of the amounts paid in bonuses to senior staff by banks and financial institutions in receipt of public money;
	(2)  how much has been allocated for the payment of bonuses to staff by banks and financial institutions in receipt of public money in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much  (a) Lloyds Banking Group and  (b) Royal Bank of Scotland have paid in bonus payments to (i) directors and (ii) staff in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The banks in which the Government are a shareholder are managed on an arm's length commercial basis by United Kingdom Financial Investments. UKFI has engaged with its investee banks as a shareholder to implement the most far-reaching reforms to bonus practices of any major bank in the world.
	The Government's policy is that state-controlled companies (including UKFI investee banks) should follow the disclosure requirements for companies listed on the Stock Exchange, including the Combined Code on Corporate Governance and Directors' Remuneration Report Regulations. We expect the banks in which Government have interests to be at the forefront of implementing the recommendations of the Walker Review, and any other international and domestic remuneration regulations and codes.
	As such their annual report will contain a Directors' Remuneration Report including information on directors' remuneration.

Bradford and Bingley

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any public money was provided to Santander in respect of Bradford and Bingley's deposit liabilities.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Details of the financial support provided to UK banks in 2008-09, including amounts involved in the transfer of Bradford and Bingley's retail deposits to Abbey, are set out in the Treasury's resource accounts for 2008-09 (HC 611).

Civil Service: Location

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what processes his Department has established to monitor the implementation of recommendations made in the 2004 Lyons Review; what assessment he has made of the effects on Departments of such implementation; what estimate he has made of the effects on central Government costs of staff relocations arising from Sir Michael's recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is responsible for monitoring the Government's relocations programme.
	OGC provides the Chief Secretary to the Treasury with quarterly updates on the programme's progress. Departments also report on progress against their respective targets in their annual departmental reports.
	The Government's existing property strategy requires all new acquisitions, lease renewals and break clauses to seek ministerial approval to stay in London and the south-east. This ensures the CST can assess, in the light of the Government's relocation programme, future estate management issues as well as providing an opportunity to monitor current progress.
	Departmental contributions towards the relocations target can be found on the OGC website:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/government_relocation_relocation_programm_progress.asp
	Beyond these staff numbers OGC does not hold information on how Departments are affected by the implementation of Sir Michael Lyons 2004 Review or on the central cost of relocations.

Civil Service: Location

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the relocation of civil service functions away from London and the south-east.

Liam Byrne: The Government's target is to relocate 24,000 civil service posts out of London and the south-east by 31 March 2010. Budget 2009 reported that at end of December 2008, 19,090 posts had been relocated to all parts of the UK.
	The Government have announced that there will be a presumption against south-east locations for all Government functions other than face-to-face services. This has been reflected in guidance to Departments.
	Decisions on departmental relocations take into account the impact on service delivery.

Civil Service: Location

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the first tranche of 20,000 jobs identified for relocation in the 2004 Lyons Review have been relocated; and how many of these jobs were in each Department.

Liam Byrne: The Government are making strong progress towards its original relocations target of 20,000 posts by 31 March 2010. Budget 2009 announced that 19,090 posts have been relocated already. The following table shows each Department's contribution:
	
		
			  Department  Number of posts 
			 Education and Skills 785 
			 Health 975 
			 Home Office 2,894 
			 Ministry of Justice (formerly DCA) 772 
			 Defence 3,851 
			 Culture, Media and Sport 867 
			 Work and Pensions 4,223 
			 Chancellor's Departments 3,287 
			 Others 1,436 
			 Cabinet Office(1) 66 
			 Communities and Local Government (formerly ODPM) 220 
			 Crown Prosecution Service(2) 43 
			 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 403 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office(3) 331 
			 International Development 88 
			 Northern Ireland Office 8 
			 Trade and Industry(4) 540 
			 Transport(5) 62 
			 Total(6) 19,090 
			 (1) Includes 25 Charity Commission relocations. (2) The Crown Prosecution Service had no relocation target at the start of SR04, but later agreed a target of relocating 20 posts out of London and the south-east by 31 March 2008. (3) Includes relocations out of London to Hanslope Park. (4) Includes 171 BIS and three OFT relocations. (5) Includes relocations out of London to Hastings. (6) The total towards the target excludes the additional moves that the FCO and DFT have managed to achieve. 
		
	
	The OGC website provides a further breakdown of the relocations programme:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/government_relocation_relocation_programme_progress_8176.asp

Civil Service: Location

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Departments have conducted second tranche studies as recommended by the 2004 Lyons Review; and how many civil service jobs in each department were subsequently relocated.

Liam Byrne: Budget 2009 announced plans to increase the target to 24,000 posts by 31 March, 2010. Additionally, Budget 2009 stated that the Office of Government Commerce would work with Departments to review the level of ambition and relocations in the medium term. This is ongoing.

Construction Industry Scheme

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who are registered with the construction industry scheme for tax purposes.

Stephen Timms: In 2008-09 1.02 million unique taxpayers (individuals and businesses) were registered under the Construction Industry Scheme:
	171,000 were registered as contractors and made returns;
	965,000 were registered as sub-contractors and received at least one payment during the year.
	114,000 were registered as both a subcontractor and a contractor.

Debts: Developing Countries

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt is owed to the UK by the poorest countries in the world; what steps his Department has taken to reduce this debt; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The UK has taken a strong lead on providing debt relief for the poorest, most indebted countries. 40 countries are eligible under the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative to receive debt relief from the UK. The UK has renounced the right to benefit from historic debt of these countries.
	The UK has irrevocably cancelled 100 per cent. of debts from the 26 countries that have reached completion point under the HIPC initiative. A further nine countries are receiving interim relief, and the UK does not receive any debt payments from these countries. The UK also holds in trust any payments made to the UK by the remaining five countries yet to enter the HIPC initiative and returns the payments once the countries enter the initiative.
	The remaining 14 countries that are yet to complete the HIPC initiative owe the UK approximately £609.7 million. The UK will cancel 100 per cent. of this debt as each country reaches completion point.

Departmental Advertising

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on advertising in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1093W, to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on entertainment from its conference and hospitality budgets in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: All expenditure, including that on entertainment, has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Data in expenditure broken down by conference and hospitality budgets are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of postal services for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Lee Scott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of postal services provided for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Royal Mail provides all external postal services to HM Treasury Group and have done so throughout 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As a matter of course, the Treasury publishes information from all of its statistical datasets that meet the definition of official statistics set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. All of the Treasury's National Statistics releases are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and the National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 254W, on departmental training, how many staff attended courses on  (a) harnessing the power of your personality,  (b) overpayments recovery workshop,  (c) your contribution to tackling avoidance,  (d) dog behaviour and  (e) reduction of administrative burdens on business in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Stephen Timms: The number of staff attending the courses in the 12 month period 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2009 is as follows:
	 (a) harnessing the power of your personality - 1; National School of Government course designed for those who have to take responsibility for making things happen and are dependent on the performance of others to do so.
	 (b) overpayments recovery workshop - 191; Internal HMRC course aimed at Recovery staff involved in the recovery of Tax Credit overpayments.
	 (c) Your contribution to tackling avoidance - 18; internal HMRC seminar aimed at all new policy officials working on anti-avoidance issues.
	 (d) Dog behaviour - 8; Metropolitan Police provided course for persons linked to the detector dog programme.
	 (e) Reduction of administrative burdens on business-this course was not available in the period in question.
	Figures on the cost of this training provision could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Budget: Contributions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's net contribution to the European Union was for 2008-09; and what estimate he has made of the net contribution for 2009-10.

Ian Pearson: The Government's latest forecasts for the UK's net contribution to the European Community budget for 2008-09 and 2009-10 were published in table C9 of the Budget 2009 (HC 407), page 238. As usual, these figures will, where necessary, be updated in the forthcoming pre-Budget report.

Excise Duties: Agricultural Machinery

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the revenue from vehicle excise duty for tractors was in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Tractors have been exempt from vehicle excise duty since 2001. For revenue figures for agricultural vehicles, which includes tractors, for years before 2001, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor the Minister for Housing, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) on 18 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1260W.

Fossil Fuel Levy: Scotland

Adam Ingram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when members of his Department last met the Scottish Executive to discuss the drawdown and utilisation of the Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy Fund for the promotion of energy use from renewable sources; and if he will publish the correspondence received from the Scottish Executive on the future use of the fund.

Liam Byrne: The Treasury and the Scottish Executive meet regularly to discuss a wide range of issues.

Gift Aid

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 256W, on Gift Aid, whether the terms of reference of his Department's research into Gift Aid includes examination of the effect of reducing the availability of Gift Aid for those on  (a) 40 per cent. income tax and  (b) 50 per cent. income tax.

Ian Pearson: The commissioned Gift Aid donor research investigates the possible effects of changing Gift Aid, including redirecting higher rate relief for individuals taxed at 40 per cent. so that it is given directly to charities. The research was commissioned before Budget 09 so the 50 per cent. rate was not included in the research.

Government: Assets

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 24, on the sale of Government assets, what requirements there are on local authorities to spend the proceeds from asset sales; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Excepting certain receipts from the sale of housing land and dwellings that are required to be pooled centrally or surrendered, and sales of school playing fields that are required to be recycled into education or sports provision, English local authorities are free to use capital receipts from asset sales to support capital investment, repay debt, earn interest or any combination of these. The decision rests with the local authority concerned.

HM Revenue and Customs

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many layers of line management there are in between the Chief Executive and frontline staff.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) frontline staff can be of any grade. This includes Senior Civil Service staff that have responsibility for dealing with our major taxpayers, involving, for example Corporation or Inheritance Taxes.
	HMRC has the following staff grades:
	Chief Executive/Permanent Secretary
	Senior Civil Service 3
	Senior Civil Service 2
	Senior Civil Service 1a
	Senior Civil Service 1
	Grade 6
	Grade 7
	Fast Stream
	Senior Officer
	Higher Officer
	Officer
	Assistant Officer
	Administrative Assistant
	With the exception of Fast Streamers staff at grade Officer and above may have management responsibilities.

Lloyds Banking Group

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department plans to subscribe for new right shares in Lloyds Banking Group.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As a shareholder, the Government have the option to take up part of the newly issued equity. If we did not do so, the value of the existing taxpayer shareholding would be diminished. To protect the value of our shares, we have therefore decided to take up our share of this new capital investing £5.7 billion net of an underwriting fee.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J Roche.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury hopes to be in a position to reply to the right hon. Member shortly, and apologises for the delay.

National Debt

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the level of the UK's financial liabilities, including debt, private finance initiative, public private partnership, unfunded pensions and bank liabilities.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Public sector net debt is measured by means of National Accounts aggregates compiled by the independent Office for National Statistics, using internationally accepted methodology. It is published on both an including and excluding financial sector interventions basis at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	Net public sector pensions expenditure is reported on a National Accounts basis in Table C9 of Budget 2009; while the Government Actuary's Department estimate of the total liability of the unfunded public service occupational pension schemes as at 31 March 2006 was published in Box 4.4 of the 2008 Long-Term Public Finances Report:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/bud_bud08_longterm.htm
	Data on the private finance initiative are published in Tables 2.4-2.6 of the HMT publication Budget 2009: The Economy and Public Finances-Supplementary Material:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/Budget2009/bud09_econfinances_968.pdf

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) total and  (b) average rateable value for hereditaments in each special category code is on (i) the 2005 Rating List and (ii) the draft 2010 Rating List.

Barbara Follett: I have been asked to reply.
	I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists at 29 May 2009. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England, published on 8 July 2009. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nndrrevaluation2010
	The number of hereditaments in each special category code has been rounded to the nearest 10 and the figures for total and average rateable value have been rounded to the nearest thousand pounds.
	Please note that:
	a) betting shops and offices have special category code 24;
	b) bingo halls have special category code 25;
	c) i) public houses/pub restaurants have special category codes 226 and 227; ii) restaurants have special category code 234; iii) wine bars have special category code 303;
	d) night clubs and discotheques have special code 199;
	e) casinos and gambling clubs have special category code 49;
	f) petrol stations have special category code 209.

Northern Rock

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the timetable is for the sale of part of Northern Rock.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It has always been the Government's intention to return Northern Rock plc to the private sector as soon as practicable.
	No decision has yet been taken as to when this will be, and any sale will occur only when conditions are right.
	Government will continue to base their judgments on the best available information in the current market conditions.

Post War Credits

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated monetary value of unclaimed post-war credits is.

Ian Pearson: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs hold two million post-war credit cards representing unclaimed credits. The average credit is £20. The estimated amount unclaimed is therefore £40 million.

Post War Credits

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid out in post-war credits since March 1996.

Ian Pearson: So far this financial year HM Revenue and Customs have paid £5,150.49 (to end October 2009) which equates to approximately £10,000 per annum. Precise figures on how much has been paid out since March 1996 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to publish his Department's factual paper on the Barnett formula.

Liam Byrne: The Treasury has provided evidence on the Barnett formula to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett formula. The evidence was published in the Committee's report on 17 July 2009 (HL Paper 139).

Public Sector: Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will include his most recent estimate of total public sector pension liabilities in his next statement on the pre-Budget report.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1353W.

Revenue and Customs: East Kilbride

Adam Ingram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many established posts there were at each grade in Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs offices at East Kilbride in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has offices at Plaza Tower and Queensway House and Hawbank stores at East Kilbride.
	The number of staff by grade employed at these offices on 1 April each year is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Grade  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Grade 6 (7) 4 (4) 7 (7) 7 (7) 7 (7) 
			 Grade 7 (14) 14 (14) 12 (12) 13 (13) 17 (17) 
			 Fast Stream (0) 3 (3) 2 (2) 3 (3) 1 (1) 
			 Senior Officer (26) 30 (30) 26 (26) 30 (30) 30 (30) 
			 Higher Officer (85) 102 (102) 101 (101) 101 (101) 115 (115) 
			 Officer (495) 509 (521) 513 (515) 515 (515) 578 (589) 
			 Assistant Officer (1,141) 1,18 (1,500) 1,340 (1598) 1,305 (1438) 1,575 (1,643) 
			 Administrative Assistant (425) 342 (404) 330 (406) 321 (502) 354 (386) 
			 Total (2,193) 2,222 (2,578) 2,331 (2,667) 2,295 (2,609) 2,677 (2,788) 
		
	
	The figures shown are the number of permanent staff. The figures in brackets show the total number of staff. Separate records for permanent and temporary staff were not maintained for 2005.

Royal Bank of Scotland

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the bad debt position at Royal Bank of Scotland prior to granting it further financial support;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the likely level of losses on loan books at Royal Bank of Scotland.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: On 3 November the Government announced a final agreement with RBS on its participation in the APS. The agreement takes account of the detailed due diligence the Government have undertaken, as well as the results of the FSA stress tests and the requirements of the European Commission's state aid guidelines, including those on impaired assets.
	The most recent detailed information on RBS's financial position is set out in its 2009 Third Quarter Interim Management Statement.

Royal Bank of Scotland/Lloyds Banking Group

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the timetable is for the asset sales by Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group under EU competition requirements; and what estimate he has made of the size of those assets.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Under the agreements reached between the Government, RBS, Lloyds, and Commissioner Kroes announced last week, RBS and Lloyds will each have up to four years to make the announced divestments. Valuation of the assets is a matter for LBG/RBS, and will depend on market conditions at the point of sale.

Tax Evasion: Bolton

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) individuals and  (b) businesses in Bolton, North-East constituency were investigated for offences related to tax evasion in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: Records of HM Revenue and Customs' compliance checks into potential cases of tax evasion are not held centrally, and could currently be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Taxation

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the change has been in percentage terms income tax, national insurance and indirect taxes for  (a) a single person on average earnings and  (b) a married couple on average earnings with two children since 1 May 1997; and by how much in percentage terms income has risen for (i) a single person on average earnings and (ii) a married couple on average earnings with two children since 1 May 1997.

Stephen Timms: Tax credits and child benefit offset income tax and national insurance and mean four out of 10 families pay no net tax. In 2009-10 the net direct tax liability for:
	a single person, with no children on average earnings is two percentage points lower than in 1997-98; and
	a couple with 2 children on average earnings is nine percentage points lower than in 1997-98.
	Between 1997-98 and 2009-10 average earnings have increased by 14 per cent. in real terms.
	Information on indirect tax liabilities is not available as these are dependent on household spending patterns, which vary widely within similar household types. There is also greater sampling variability for households at specific earnings levels due to the small sample sizes.

Tobin Tax

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects of a Tobin tax on the UK financial services sector.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As the Prime Minister set out on 7 November 2009 at the G20 summit at St. Andrews, any financial transaction tax-or indeed any other option aimed at ensuring the international financial sector makes a fair contribution back to the taxpayer for the cost of Government interventions in the banking sector-would need to be subject to four core principles: it would need to apply globally; must be non-distortionary; must complement-and reinforce-action the G20 are already taking to enhance the stability of the international financial system; and it must be fair to the financial sector. The effect of any such transaction tax on the UK financial sector would depend on how precisely these principles were implemented.

Tobin Tax

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with  (a) his (i) US and (ii) Canadian counterpart and  (b) the International Monetary Fund about a Tobin tax prior to the speech made by the Prime Minister at St Andrews on 7 November 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Ulster Bank: Pay

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what representations he has received from the Irish Bank Officials Association on Ulster Bank's plans in relation to contractual bonuses to its lower-paid employees;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on Ulster Bank's proposal to withhold the 10 per cent. contractual profit share payment from lower-paid employees which his Department had previously authorised in respect of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Chancellor receives a wide range of representations on issues relating to banks in receipt of public funds. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.
	The Government's shareholdings in RBS are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI). UKFI's objective is to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to the maintenance of financial stability, and to act in a way that promotes competition.

Valuation Office: Allowances

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value was of the expense claims made by each board member of the Valuation Office Agency in each of the last two years.

Ian Pearson: The expense claims of management board members in the last two years were as detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Expenses claimed  1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008  1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 
			 Chief Executive 4,934 3,194 
			 Deputy Chief Executive 4,283 2,018 
			 Director of Data Strategy 3,757 4,132 
			 Director of HR 2,352 2,187 
			 Head of Communications 2,368 9,31 
			 Director of Finance 3,628 2,088 
			 Chief Information Officer 2,673 4,878 
			 Director of National and Central Services 0 34,039 
			 Director of Commercial Services 0 3,235 
			 Director of District Valuer Services 0 0 
			 Non Executive Director 1 0 0 
			 Non Executive Director 2 0 126

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the effect on public expenditure of increasing the first income threshold of working tax credits by £500 while removing the second income threshold on tax credits and applying a consistent taper rate of 44 per cent. in each of the next five years; and if he will estimate the number of people who would have their awards reduced to zero in each case;
	(2)  if he will estimate the effect on public expenditure of removing the second income threshold on tax credits and applying a consistent taper rate of 39 per cent. in each of the next five years; and if he will estimate the number of people who would have their awards reduced to zero in each case.

Stephen Timms: The following figures provide an indication of the savings from 2010-11 to 2014-15 from these changes. These figures do not account for possible behavioural effects and should therefore be treated with caution. There may be a significant effect on work incentives arising from increasing marginal withdrawal rates.
	
		
			  Effect on expenditure, £ million 
			  Changes  2010-11  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15 
			 Removing the second income threshold, a 44 per cent taper rate and increase the first income threshold by £500 1,510 1,555 1,585 1,625 1,670 
			 Removing the second income threshold, and a 39 per cent taper rate 720 710 670 650 620 
		
	
	Estimates of the number of claimants who would have their award tapered to zero if these measures were implemented immediately are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Additional number of claimants with awards tapered to zero, thousands 
			   Number 
			 Removing the second income threshold a 44 per cent taper rate and increase the first income threshold by £500 1,670 
			 Removing the second income threshold and a 39 per cent. taper rate 1,450

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the estimated average monthly wage of  (a) a poppy farmer and  (b) a grain farmer in Afghanistan.

Ivan Lewis: Afghan farmers do not normally receive a regular wage from poppy or wheat farming. Their income comes from a number of different sources, including the cultivation of a number of crops simultaneously and other sources such as manual labour.
	Average national figures for farmers' income are currently not available; we have made estimates for Helmand. In 2008-09 the net returns on a jerib (one fifth of one hectare) of wheat were US$200, whereas the net returns on a jerib of opium were US$20-430. Wheat is currently a more competitive crop than in previous years because of the relatively high prices of wheat and the low opium prices, combined with high labour costs for opium cultivation.

Africa: Foreign Relations

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the African Union on UK foreign policy in relation to Africa.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have regular contact with the African Union (AU) at official and ministerial level.
	My noble Friend, the former Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, attended the AU Summit in July this year where he met various AU representatives including the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, and his deputy, Erasmus Mwencha. He held wide-ranging discussions on UK and AU policy on, for example, Somalia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the global economic crisis.

Aid Workers

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to help protect UK aid workers working in dangerous parts of the world.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK Government take the safety of British aid workers very seriously at all times. The Department for International Development (DFID) works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other agencies in assessing threats and vulnerabilities. Local security management and mitigation measures are tailored to each environment and these are kept under frequent review.

Akmal Shaikh

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of China on the sentencing of Akmal Shaikh; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary were very concerned to learn that the death sentence imposed on Akmal Shaikh, was upheld apparently without proper consideration of mitigating factors including his mental health. The Prime Minister wrote to President Hu on 14 October 2009 and the Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Yang on 16 October 2009 to express our serious concerns about how the case has been managed and restate our opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances.
	We both also raised the case with Chinese State Councillor for Foreign Affairs Dai Bingguo in London on 19 October 2009. We continue to use every opportunity to raise the case with our Chinese counterparts in London and in Beijing. The EU troika presented a démarche at ambassador level to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 11 November 2009. We continue to identify opportunities for further representations.

China: Capital Punishment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Chinese Government on  (a) the recent execution of persons found to have been involved in rioting in Xinjiang and  (b) the level of autonomy of the Government of that region.

Ivan Lewis: We have made clear our opposition to the death penalty in principle, and working with EU counterparts we urged the Chinese authorities not to carry out the sentences on those convicted in connection with the riots in Xinjiang in July this year. We remain concerned that independent observers were not allowed at the trials and continue to argue to the Chinese that all those arrested should be given fair and transparent trials and access to justice. Our embassy asked for access to the trials linked to the unrest but they were refused access.
	We remain concerned over the situation in Xinjiang, in particular respect for cultural rights and religious freedoms, and raised this most recently at the last round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2009 and at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2009, where we have consistently raised the rights of ethnic minorities in China through successive rounds of dialogue.

Departmental Advertising

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on advertising in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 540W.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not been subject to an independent audit of its information assurance procedures. However, in 2009 the FCO conducted a self-assessment against the Information Assurance Maturity Model supported by an external body, and the results showed that FCO's information assurance meets the Government's Security Policy Framework standards.

Hossein Rassam

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with foreign counterparts on securing the release of Hossein Rassam; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary telephoned the Iranian Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, on 1 November 2009 to make clear our concern over the sentencing of Hossein Rassam. In addition to conversations with EU counterparts at the General Affairs and External Relations Council and European Council, the Foreign Secretary has also discussed this case with the Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, and during his recent visit to Turkey.
	We are deeply concerned by the harassment of our staff in Tehran by the Iranian authorities: none has done anything wrong and the sentence imposed upon Hossein Rassam is completely unjustified and unacceptable. We have urged the Iranian authorities to ensure that Hossein Rassam's appeal is dealt with swiftly and the sentence overturned.

India: Entry Clearance

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens expected to be required to leave India as a consequence of rejection of visa  (a) applications and  (b) renewals following the policy changes made by the Government of India; what support and advice his Department is offering to those required to leave; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not been notified about a change of policy by the Government of India on visa applications though we are aware, including from Indian media reports, that existing immigration rules for business and employment visitors are being rigorously enforced.
	Some British nationals have contacted our offices in India about the status of their visas. We have advised those currently possessing the incorrect visa to leave India before the expiry of the Indian Government's deadline and then apply for the correct visa.
	Advice is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Travel Advice for India
	www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/india
	and our high commission's website
	www.ukinindia.gov.uk
	We have also consulted British business groups in India and we are not aware of many British nationals being directly affected.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from his Department are seconded to work on the Chilcot Inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 413W.

Israel: Foreign Visits

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities his Department offered Ehud Barak during his visit to the UK in September 2009; and what meetings took place between Mr. Barak and representatives of the Government.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 10 November 2009
	We adhere to our international legal obligations to implement appropriate security measures for all visits by foreign dignitaries to the UK to ensure their safety and dignity are not compromised, but we do not discuss the details of any protection arrangements that may be provided for public figures as to do so may compromise their safety.
	Mr. Barak met my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 21 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms M. Dolan.

David Miliband: We first received this letter on Monday 9 November 2009 when a copy was faxed to us. I replied today.

Mongolia: Foreign Relations

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the state of relations between the UK and Mongolia; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Relations between the UK and Mongolia have always been strong. In 1963 the UK became the first western country to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia. This long association has given the UK a special position in Mongolia. Both countries continue to look at ways to further develop the relationship by working on areas such as investment, education, regional security, climate change and international peacekeeping.
	The approval of an investment law in Mongolia in August 2009 has opened up major opportunities for commercial ties. For example - Rio Tinto, Ivanhoe Mines and the Government of Mongolia signed a contract in October 2009 to mine copper and gold at Oyu Tolgoi, one of the largest undeveloped deposits in the world with resources in excess of $290 billion. This project has the potential to radically transform the Mongolian economy, and has already attracted unprecedented UK interest in doing business with Mongolia. We hope that the upcoming European Bank of Reconstruction and Development conference in December will further promote trade and investment ties. And we welcome the recent establishment of a UK-Mongolia Chamber of Commerce in London.
	Our interest in deepening relations with Mongolia goes beyond trade and investment. Mongolia makes important contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Western Sahara, Sudan, Kosovo and Somalia. These deployments have always been held in high regard by the UK. They demonstrate Mongolia's commitment to playing a responsible role on the world stage.
	On other global challenges, we have welcomed Mongolia's proposals to increase co-operation with their regional partners on tackling climate change. Through our embassy in Ulaanbaatar and other dialogue with the Government of Mongolia we look forward to developing co-operation further on this and other international priorities.

Outreach Events

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which cities and towns in the UK senior officials from his Department have visited as part of the PREVENT initiative; how such towns and cities were selected; which senior officials took part in each visit; when each visit took place; how much each visit cost; how many people attended each event; how attendees were selected; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Violent extremists use misconceptions about foreign policy as a way to radicalise vulnerable young people in the UK. We have a programme of outreach to Muslim communities around the UK by Ministers and senior officials to discuss foreign policy issues and challenge extremists' distortions of British foreign policy.
	During the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Leadership Week (when Heads of Mission return to London) in March this year, the following outreach events took place:
	9 March: Paul Johnston, Director for International Security, visited Glasgow
	23 March: Robert Chatterton Dickson, Head of Counter Terrorism Department, visited Tower Hamlets
	24 March: Richard Makepeace, HMA(1) Jerusalem, gave a foreign policy briefing on Gaza to key Muslim stakeholders
	26 March: James Watt, HMA(1) Amman, visited north London
	26 March: Martin Hatfield, HMA(1) Indonesia, visited Luton
	26 March: William Patey, HMA(1) Riyadh, visited Oxford
	26 March: Rob Macaire, HC(2) Nairobi and John Marshall, DHM(3) Addis Ababa visited Tower Hamlets
	26 March: Robert Brinkley, HC(2) Islamabad, and Stuart Eldon, Permanent Representative North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) visited Birmingham
	26 March: Chris O'Connor, HMA(1) Tunis, visited Reading
	26 March: Andrew Henderson, HMA(1) Algiers, visited Islington
	27 March: Dominic Asquith, HMA(1) Cairo, visited Ealing
	27 March: Nick Baird, HMA(1) Ankara, visited Nottingham
	27 March: Simon Collis, HMA(1) Damascus, visited Sheffield
	27 March: Christopher Prentice, HMA(1) Baghdad, visited Brent
	27 March: Paul Madden, HC(2) Singapore, visited Woking Mosque
	Following on from this, outreach events to date have been:
	28 May: Steven Evans, HC(2) Bangladesh visited Bangladeshi communities in Brick Lane and Tower Hamlets
	3 June: Stuart Eldon, Perm Rep NATO took part in a Q and A discussion with the forum Open Discussions in London
	15 July: William Patey, HMA(1) Riyadh visited Redbridge
	16 July: Robert Brinkley, HC(2) Islamabad visited Derby
	17 August: Adam Thomson, HC(2) Islamabad designate, visited Glasgow
	24 August: Adam Thomson, HC(2) Islamabad designate visited Birmingham
	27 August: Adam Thomson, HC(2) Islamabad designate, visited Bradford
	15 September: William Patey, HMA(1) Riyadh visited Edinburgh
	15 September: Sir Peter Ricketts, PUS(4), hosted an Iftar in Brick Lane
	24 September: Christopher Prentice, HMA(1) Baghdad, visited High Wycombe
	9 October: Sir Peter Ricketts, PUS(4), visited Edinburgh
	12 October: Tim Morris, HMA(1) Rabat, visited North West London
	We work with local authorities, other Government Departments and community organisations to reach as wide an audience as possible. In most cases, local authorities approach us when they have established there is appetite for outreach in their areas. We do not select attendees and attendance numbers vary significantly from event to event.
	The cost of events has ranged from £0 to £1,500, which includes venue hire, catering and travel costs for officials.
	Planned outreach events for the coming months will take place in Lambeth, Kirklees, Birmingham and Manchester. There will also be an inward visit to the FCO by young Muslim students from Reading.
	As with past events, the costs will range from £0 to £1,000
	(1) HMA = Her Majesty's Ambassador
	(2) HC = High Commissioner
	(3) DHM = Deputy Head of Mission
	(4) PUS = Permanent Under Secretary

Overseas Trade: Corruption

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received representations from the government of  (a) South Africa,  (b) the Czech Republic and  (c) Tanzania on allegations of corruption in those countries by British companies or individuals.

Chris Bryant: We have not received any representations by the Government of South Africa, the Government of Tanzania or the Government of the Czech Republic concerning allegations of corruption in those countries by British companies or individuals.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1153W, on trade unions, what the function of the Trade Union Secretariat (TUS) is; and whether the TUS may engage in political activity related to trade union representation.

Chris Bryant: The Trade Union Side (TUS) Secretariat represents the staff side of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Departmental Whitley Council. It co-ordinates the views of constituent trade unions and members recognised by the FCO (Prospect, the Diplomatic Service Association and Public and Commercial Services union). It leads, representing the views of the constituent trade unions, on behalf of staff in formal and informal negotiations and consultations with FCO Management on a variety of issues, including pay, terms and conditions of employment, recruitment, appraisals and promotions, redundancy, organisational change, diversity, equality and health and safety.
	The TUS would not normally engage in political activities as such. While members of the TUS Secretariat may attend or be involved in meetings which have a political dimension, political activities such as lobbying would normally be done by the constituent trade unions on behalf of their members. Any political activities are undertaken by individual unions with political funds, and are not within the remit of the TUS.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a report from the UK ambassador in Rabat on allegations of repression by Moroccan forces in September in Boujdour, Aaiun and Smra in Western Sahara.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of allegations made by the Moroccan Association for Human Rights regarding incidents in Layoune and Boujdour in September 2009.
	Our ambassador in Rabat and his staff regularly meet with representatives from human rights non-governmental organisations and discuss a range of issues. The Government take allegations of human rights violations in Morocco seriously and, along with EU colleagues in Rabat, raise individual cases with the Moroccan authorities as appropriate.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1GOAL

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had about the GCE-FIFA 2010 Word Cup initiative 1GOAL.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is very supportive of the FIFA 1GOAL campaign, and the role it will play in moving towards MDG 2-achieving universal primary education. DFID is working closely with the Global Campaign for Education to help deliver the initiative around the world and has contributed £1 million this financial year for this purpose.
	Most recently, on 6 October, Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, attended the Global Leaders' launch, at which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister spoke alongside other supporters including South Africa President Zuma, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Afghan Action: Finance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to the organisation Afghan Action in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Afghan Action was awarded a grant of £225,000 in 2005 from the Department for International Development (DFID) following an application to the Business Linkages Challenge Fund. No further payments have been made.
	The grant was awarded to help Afghan Action cover start-up costs and develop a viable carpet business, designed to provide training and employment for local people in Kabul. By August 2005, 75 people had been employed and 30 people trained in their own carpet-making workshop.

Africa: HIV Infection

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps he has taken to support community-based HIV campaigns in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides support to community-based organisations in several places:
	In Zimbabwe, we and other donors are jointly providing £23 million in predictable funding for over 130 community-based organisations, which will reach over 180,000 orphans and other vulnerable children.
	In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have made a £4.5 million grant to Christian Aid to support community-based care for HIV sufferers.
	In Kenya, we are providing £10 million over five years to the African Medical and Research Foundation to develop the capacity of local NGOs to prevent and treat HIV.
	We also support civil society via our funding to Governments. In Malawi, we contribute some £14 million to the national response to HIV/AIDs which supports more than 1,000 community-based organisations, while in Nigeria a significant proportion of the £100 million that we have committed for the period 2009-14 is going to civil society groups particularly in areas such as home-based care and support to vulnerable groups and orphans.
	A major part of UK HIV/AIDS funding is channelled through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) to which we have committed £1 billion for the period 2008-15. 12 per cent. of the fund's grants in Africa go to civil society organisations.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much cross-border humanitarian assistance his Department plans to provide for eastern Burma in 2010; and how much was provided in 2009.

Michael Foster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October 2009,  Official Report; column 572W, to the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Mitchell).

Chars Livelihoods Programme

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons his Department signed a second contract with Maxwell Stamp plc in respect of the Chars Livelihoods Programme before undertaking a financial audit of its first contract with that company; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Maxwell Stamp plc was awarded a contract to design and, subject to the approval of that design, implement the second phase of the Chars Livelihoods Programme following an open, competitive tendering process that followed European Union directives.

Chars Livelihoods Programme

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to audit the  (a) impact and  (b) other claims made by Maxwell Stamp plc in respect of its work for the Chars Livelihoods Programme.

Douglas Alexander: All projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) are subject to an annual review to assess progress and measure results.
	Financial claims are checked against the contract terms and physical progress, in line with DFID's standard procedures.

Chars Livelihoods Programme

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has carried out an independent audit of the contract signed by his Department and Maxwell Stamp plc in 2004 in respect of management services for the Chars Livelihoods Programme in Bangladesh.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development carries out annual independent audits of Maxwell Stamp plc's spending in Bangladesh on the Chars Livelihoods Programme.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent £1,567 + VAT on Christmas cards in the last 12 months.
	Under DFID rules, no funds are spent on staff Christmas parties or decorations.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department plans to allocate in 2009-10 to tackling violence against women, broken down by recipient country.

Michael Foster: It is not possible to calculate a figure for funding commitments in 2009-10 to tackling violence against women, broken down by recipient country. Gender-based violence is addressed through many different approaches and programmes, according to country context and whether partners are focusing on preventing violence against women or responding to it.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Michael Foster: The percentage of UK invoices paid within 10 days by the Department for International Development is as follows:
	 (a) 91 per cent. in September; and
	 (b) 95 per cent. in October.

Departmental contracts

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on following established best practice in the management of tendering exercises.

Douglas Alexander: For all tenders for goods and services over the EU threshold the Department for International Development (DFID) follows the EU directives, as enshrined in UK Public Contract Regulations 2006.
	For all tenders under the threshold DFID follows established best practice, in line with Office of Government Commerce guidance.

Departmental Contracts

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the use of independent audits in the management of grants and contracts for which his Department is responsible.

Douglas Alexander: Where grants are provided, the Department for International Development (DFID) requires evidence about the use of funds through the receipt of annual audited accounts or through a special audited statement. Where DFID itself buys goods and services, no additional audit evidence is required but the invoices, supporting vouchers and documentation associated with the payment is used to confirm what the money has been spent on.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has been independently audited as mandated by the Cabinet Secretary's report into data handling processes across Government and the Security Policy Framework. All audits are in line with international standard ISO/IEC 27001:2005 for Information Security Management Systems, against which DFID has been certified.

Departmental ICT

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which organisations his Department has had exclusivity agreements with in respect of information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years; how many such agreements were breached in each year; and what the cost to his Department was of each breach.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has had no exclusive agreements in relation to information technology hardware or software in the past five years.

Departmental Manpower

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many established posts there were at each grade in his Department's offices in East Kilbride in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The numbers of established posts, by job grade, in the Department for International Development's (DFID's) East Kilbride office, for each year from 2005 to 2009, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			   31 March 
			  Job Grade  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 SCS 3 5 6 8 10 
			 A1 21 27 31 29 32 
			 A2 41 50 57 57 59 
			 A2(L) 46 49 48 54 52 
			 B1D 4 6 4 4 5 
			 B1 96 97 104 102 108 
			 B2 134 137 130 112 116 
			 C1 155 145 131 99 82 
			 C2 29 23 13 11 6 
			 Total 529 539 524 476 470

Departmental Manpower

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) staffing complement and  (b) management structure is of his Department's Counter-Fraud Unit.

Douglas Alexander: The Department's Counter-Fraud Unit has seven members of staff and is supplemented by external resources as required.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Michael Foster: We are unable to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All reimbursable expenses are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with which providers his Department had a contract to provide postal services in (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and  (d) since 1 July 2009.

Michael Foster: The only contracted postal service which the Department for International Development uses and has used throughout all the periods in question is a cross-Whitehall shared contract with TNT UK Ltd., which DFID uses for a direct delivery service between our two UK offices.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department on procurement under tender because the tender process had been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Michael Foster: During the last 12 months the Department for International Development (DFID) has cancelled four tendered procurements prior to award of contract. DFID has made no payments to bidders in respect of nugatory work. The only costs are the staff resources we deployed on administering these processes. Records of these costs are not routinely disaggregated between each tender, and could not be calculated without disproportionate effort.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) publishes summary information on all its projects via its website. We are working on arrangements and a timetable for publishing further details of our projects. In doing so, we need to balance our commitment to transparency with the need to protect sensitive information, and the cost and practicality of publishing information in a usable format.
	Further detail on individual UK aid programmes is provided to the Creditor Reporting System administered by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD). The underpinning datasets for the UK and other donors are available from the OECD website.
	All of this information contributes to the annual DFID publication Statistics on International Development. This publication is published in accordance with the requirements set out in the 'Code of Practice for Official Statistics' and the 'National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics'.

Developing Countries

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had on the role of scientists in policy-making in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The role of scientists in policy making has not been the subject of any recent separate discussions but has been reflected in discussions on a wide range of thematic policy and research issues and has been a key component of recent discussions in the lead-up to the Copenhagen Climate Conference. Increasing our support for building the capacity to undertake and use research within our developing country partners was a key commitment in the Research Strategy 2008-13 launched last year and available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Developing Countries: Childbirth

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's expenditure aimed at reducing the number of women dying in childbirth in developing countries.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) conducts an annual assessment of its progress towards key MDG targets at a country level based on international data. The assessment concentrates on progress in 22 developing countries where the UK's development assistance is mainly focused and where we expect to make the most impact.
	The latest assessment was published in the 2008 Autumn Performance Report (copies of which are in the Parliamentary Library). A copy is available at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications/aut-perf-report-08.pdf
	The 2009 Performance Report is currently in preparation and will be laid before Parliament on 15 December 2009.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK funding was  (a) allocated to and  (b) spent on tackling HIV/AIDS in developing countries in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: We pledged an ambitious target of £1.5 billion for AIDS related expenditure from 2005 to 2008.
	Details on DFID's expenditure on HIV and AIDS are produced as follows.
	
		
			  DFID's estimated expenditure on HIV/AIDS activities 
			   HIV/AIDS Expenditure (£ millions) 
			 2004-05 312.5 
			 2005-06 429.8 
			 2006-07 488.8 
			 2007-08 523.2 
			 2008-09 586.4 
		
	
	More information on DFID expenditure can be found in Statistics on International Development 2009, which is available on-line at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Developing Countries: Vaccination

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the UK's contribution to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation was in each of the last five years; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the facility in preventing deaths; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: In 2006 the UK committed £1.38 billion over 20 years to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). All pledges to IFFIm are legally binding and are used to raise money from selling bonds on the international capital markets. So far the following payments have been made by the UK; 2007-£9,043,200, 2008-£16,848,900, 2009-£25,064,800.
	IFFIm will be formally evaluated in 2011. Its funding aims to allow the vaccination of over 500 million people and has the potential to save 10 million lives. Funds raised by IFFIm are used by the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation). Ongoing assessment by GAVI shows that the money provided by IFFIm has helped massively boost immunisation coverage and health service availability in the world's 72 poorest countries. Some of GAVI's achievements to date due to IFFIm funding have been: 194 million children in 32 countries immunised with life saving measles vaccine, the immunisation of more than 100 million children under the age of five against polio, helping poor countries target 26 million women with immunisation against maternal and neonatal tetanus, and yellow fever immunisation activities in 12 West African countries that will strengthen health systems and support vaccine security and affordability to prevent approximately 687,000 deaths between now and 2050.

East Africa: Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the number of children receiving schooling in  (a) Kenya and  (b) Mozambique.

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Department for International Development (DFID) spends £11 million annually to support the Government of Kenya's Education Sector Support programme (KESSP) 2005 to 2010. Our funds are used to build classrooms, provide textbooks, train teachers and improve the way schools are managed. This year DFID has also provided an extra £5 million to improve water and sanitation facilities in 2,500 primary schools.
	DFID's support in Kenya has contributed to a rise in enrolments in primary school from 7.6 million in 2005 to 8.6 million in 2008 and an increase in the proportion of children going on to secondary school from 56 per cent. to 68 per cent. over the same period. With the net enrolment rate currently at 92.5 per cent. (girls 90.5 per cent.), Kenya is on track to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 by 2015.
	 (b) In Mozambique DFID supports the education sector through Mozambique's Poverty Reduction Strategy, in which we invested £44 million in 2009-10, and by direct support to the education sector. DFID has a 10-year funding commitment of £45 million with the Government of Mozambique up to 2016. DFID funding contributed to Mozambique's success in increasing the primary net enrolment rate from 87.1 per cent. in 2006 (84 per cent. for girls) to 99.2 per cent. 2008 (96.2 per cent. for girls). This increased enrolment means that there are 729,000 more children in school now than there were in 2006.
	We have also supported both Kenya and Mozambique to receive substantial funding from the global Education For All Fast Track Initiative, managed by the World Bank, to which DFID is a major donor.

Fraud

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on following established best practice in fraud investigations.

Douglas Alexander: Fraud investigations are undertaken in accordance with professional standards and guidelines set by the Counter Fraud Professional Accreditation Board and other relevant professional bodies.

HIV Infection: Uganda

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of his Department's programme to reduce HIV/AIDS in Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing £13.6 million towards a programme to help Uganda increase access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. An independent review in June of this year found that the programme was strengthening the leadership role of the Uganda AIDS Commission, improving co-ordination amongst United Nations agencies and increasing service coverage by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The independent reviewers concluded that the programme has been highly influential on the Ugandan response to the AIDS epidemic for a modest amount of funding.
	The Civil Society Fund component, jointly funded by the United Kingdom, American, Danish and Irish Governments, has so far provided more than 120 grants to NGOs. This has resulted in (a) more than 1 million Ugandans benefiting from individual HIV services, including 46,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs); (b) over 800,000 people being reached with prevention messages, and (c) 66,000 people receiving an HIV test and counselling.

India: Polio

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of his Department's work to tackle polio in India.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports polio eradication in India though the Global Polio Eradication Programme (GPEP), to which the UK is the second largest bilateral contributor (£424 million to date).
	In 2009, the World Health Organisation (WHO) carried out an independent evaluation of the GPEP, which found that the programme is well executed, has high coverage of the population and scrupulously implements recommendations from technical experts. In addition, the Expert Advisory Group on Polio convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that there is strong epidemiological and operational evidence that India is on track to eradicate the disease.

Intellectual Property

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on  (a) the protection and  (b) public availability of the intellectual property arising from programmes funded by his Department.

Douglas Alexander: All intellectual property produced by Crown Servants in the discharge of their duties is deemed to be property of the Crown.
	For DFID funded programmes, the designation of intellectual property rights can differ according to individual contracts.

Kenya: Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had on food shortages in northern Kenya;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to reduce food shortages in northern Kenya.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has had discussions with international partners on the current food shortages in Kenya and accepts the United Nations (UN) agencies and the Government of Kenya's recent assessment that almost 10 million people will be unable to access sufficient food.
	DFID has provided £7.9 million this year to support food relief to the general population through the World Food Programme, and additional relief for acutely malnourished children through international non-governmental agencies. On 2( )October we announced an additional £5 million allocation to help those most in need. We are also pressing the Government of Kenya to do all it can to respond to the needs of its people, and in the longer-term to address the root causes of Kenya's chronic food insecurity.

Malaria

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken to improve standards of anti-malaria treatment in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: DFID's work in health aims to strengthen countries' health systems to deliver decent basic health care, including for malaria prevention, control and effective treatment. We look to the World Health Organisation to take the lead in setting and supporting countries to implement appropriate standards of anti-malaria treatment.
	We have committed £1 billion of long-term funding over the period 2008-15 to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to help countries get the malaria treatments they need. In addition we have committed £40 million to the Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFm) that will help make highly effective ACT drugs available to poor people and postpone emergence of resistance. In helping displace ineffective monotherapy, the AMFm is an important element in our efforts to improve malaria treatment.

Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce  (a) childhood diarrhoea and  (b) diabetes in developing countries.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to improving health services in developing countries. 90 per cent. of diarrhoea cases can be prevented by increasing the availability of clean water and improving sanitation and hygiene. DFID has recently made a commitment to spend half of future UK direct support for developing countries on basic services. This includes a commitment to spend £1 billion on water, sanitation and hygiene in Africa over five years (2008-13) to ensure that up to 25 million additional people gain access to safe water and basic sanitation. DFID will also support at least 30 million more people to get access to improved sanitation and hygiene promotion in South Asia by 2011.
	DFID also recognises the increasing importance of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and has committed £6 billion over the period 2008-15 to help developing countries strengthen their health systems to respond to all basic health needs. This support is aligned to the priorities identified by partner Governments in developing countries. In addition, at the UN high-level event in New York on 23 September 2009, the United Kingdom led the way in helping to secure a landmark £3.2 billion deal for more financing to improve health services across the developing world.

Overseas Aid

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's funding to assist poorer countries investigate the effects of global warming has been spent in each year since its introduction.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports poorer countries to investigate the effects of climate change both directly through a portfolio of centrally managed research programmes and indirectly through our country programmes. Research is carried out by external agencies in both the UK and developing countries. Though it is difficult to disaggregate the amount spent in poorer countries, total previous and anticipated spending on this research is outlined in the table. DFID also provides substantial levels of funding through country programmes although we are unable to disaggregate the amount utilised specifically for this purpose.
	
		
			  Previous and anticipated spend 
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2006-07 5.88 
			 2007-08 8.75 
			 2008-09 3.08 
			 2009-10 9.8 
			 2010-11 24.7 
			 2011-12 29.7 
			 2012-13 30.6 
		
	
	In our recent White Paper DFID has committed to invest £100 million in climate change research between 2008 and 2013. This will include bringing southern and northern institutions together to establish a Climate Change Knowledge Network (CCKN) to deliver policy advice and knowledge to over 60 developing countries.

Overseas Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has a policy on the prevention of nepotism in respect of the use of overseas development aid.

Douglas Alexander: The Department's policy on conflicts of interest is set out in its standing procedures and reflects the terms of the civil service management code.

Overseas Aid: Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the number of people taken out of poverty by UK foreign aid in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development estimates that from 2007-08 it has helped to lift at least 3 million people permanently out of poverty every year.
	Prior to 2007-08 we did not produce this estimate.

Overseas Aid: Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what percentage of all UK foreign aid was used for  (a) poverty reduction and  (b) other projects in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The 2002 International Development Act makes reducing poverty the core purpose of all UK aid.

Palm Oil: Sustainable Development

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether his Department was represented at the most recent Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he last discussed the use of sustainable palm oil with  (a) Ministerial colleagues,  (b) representatives of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil,  (c) representatives of the palm oil industry,  (d) representatives of environmental non-governmental organisations and  (e) officials of other Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil annual meeting (2-4 November) was attended by a Government official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posted to the South East Asia region. FCO officials work closely with counterparts in the UK to represent wider Government interests and to keep policy makers informed of relevant developments abroad.
	In the last month, Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Energy and Climate Change have met with UK based businesses who are members of the RSPO and with international NGOs on forestry and palm oil. Engagement with these groups and other Governments will continue as the UK Government work to support sustainable production and consumption of palm oil.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian aid his Department has provided for Darfur in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not systematically disaggregate humanitarian aid by region within Sudan. Most of DFID's humanitarian funding is channelled through the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) or appeal funding to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). These funding channels combine DFID's money with other donors', and allocate resources to where they are needed most throughout the year. In order to allow flexibility to respond quickly where the needs are greatest, we do not earmark our contributions for specific regions.
	DFID's humanitarian funding in Sudan is some £50 million in 2009, including £36 million through the Common Humanitarian Fund, £6 million to ICRC and the remainder delivered directly through NGOs.
	Information on the Department for International Development's funding to Sudan is available in the publication Statistics on International Development 2007-08. This is available in the Library of the House and online at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/sid2008/release.asp.

Youth Volunteer Programme: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the funding for the youth volunteer programme has been spent in each year since its introduction.

Michael Foster: The Department of International Development has spent the following amounts since the introduction of our youth volunteer programme, Platform2, in January 2008:
	
		
			   £ 
			 January to December 2008 1,545,987.73 
			 January to September 2009 2,354,827.47

JUSTICE

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: The information requested is as follows.
	 (i) Christmas  c ards
	The Ministry of Justice spent £1,695 on official Christmas cards in 2008. 3,800 printed cards were sent to the Department's stakeholders, and 400 more cards were sent out electronically. The official card was used by Ministers, MOJ headquarters and the Office for the Public Guardian.
	The order for cards for 2009 has not yet commenced.
	Other executive agencies made their own arrangements for Christmas cards, HM Courts Service and Tribunals Service did not produce official cards. Expenditure on Christmas cards by the National Offender Management Service is at local discretion. No central records of expenditure are held and details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 (ii) Christmas parties
	 Secretary of State
	I hosted one Christmas function in 2008. This was an event attended by approximately 50 members of the national media. The total cost of the function was £1,199.90 (excluding VAT). This expenditure included the provision of finger foods and beverages, and the cost of staffing and equipment.
	I did not attend any Christmas functions arranged by the Ministry or its agencies other than the one I hosted above.
	 For officials at the Department and its agencies
	The Department and its agencies do not fund Christmas parties for staff, although staff may personally contribute towards the cost of such an event.
	 (iii) Christma s d ecorations
	The cost of Christmas trees for MOJ headquarters was £970 inclusive of VAT. The decorations from 2007 were re-used for 2008.
	The information for agencies can be gathered only at a disproportionate cost. All four MOJ agencies (National Offender Management Service; HM Courts Service; Tribunals Service and Office of the Public Guardian) have regionalised structures. Each individual building orders their own trees and decorations.

Coroners: Armed forces

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the arrangements agreed between his Department and the Scottish Executive on the use of fatal accident inquiries into the deaths abroad of service personnel are to be applied retrospectively; and on what date such arrangements will take effect.

Bridget Prentice: The Coroners and Justice Act, which received Royal Assent today provides for the possibility of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) in Scotland into the deaths of service personnel who die abroad on active service or in training or preparation for it.
	The arrangements will take effect once the Scottish Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has made the necessary preparations for Fatal Accident Inquiries to be held into overseas deaths of service personnel. The UK Government will work with the COPFS to bring the new provisions into effect as soon as possible. Transitional provisions will be made to ensure that the arrangements can be in place ahead of the complete reform of the coroners' system, by April 2012, on which they are otherwise dependent.
	It is possible that the provisions could be applied to deaths that have occurred before the provisions are implemented to meet the wishes of a bereaved family. I will write to my right hon. Friend on progress in this area and place a copy in the Library.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many domestic flights within Great Britain officials from his Department made in 2008-09; and at what cost.

Jack Straw: The Ministry has a contract with a travel management company for the booking of flights at the most economical rates available. The expenditure incurred by the Ministry on domestic flights within Great Britain via this travel management company in 2008-09 was £478,091. This consisted of 2,262 transactions, with a return flight counting as one transaction.
	Exceptionally, some flights may have been purchased outside of the contract using the Government Procurement Card (GPC) or paid for by members of staff and reclaimed through expense claims. To determine the number and cost of domestic flights outside of the travel management contract would involve the disproportionate cost of scrutinising individual records held locally across the Department.
	All travel bookings by Ministry of Justice staff members is completed in line with the published rules for official travel and subsistence within the staff handbook. The rules are in accordance with the guidelines set out in the 'Civil Service Management Code'. The Ministry's policy is that air travel should only be used where there is a cost advantage from savings of subsistence and official time, or if urgency justifies the additional cost.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Jack Straw: For the 2008-09 financial year, there was only one first-class flight taken from Mumbai to London, costing £2,040.50. This flight was taken by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice), who had to travel first class on the return leg of the journey owing to illness. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is committed to achieving compliance with the Prime Minister's target of paying 90 per cent. of suppliers within 10 days where possible, and is a signatory to the prompt payment code. The MOJ's percentage of supplier invoices paid within 10 days for September and October 2009 exceeded the 90 per cent. target (September 2009 was 91.7 per cent., October 2009 was 92.2 per cent.). The value of invoices paid within the target for September and October totalled around £881 million.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what IT systems have been in development for use within his Department in the last five years; what the primary reason for the development of each system was; how much has been spent on the development of each system; and which systems have subsequently been  (a) implemented,  (b) terminated prior to implementation and  (c) terminated following implementation.

Jack Straw: Details of the IT systems developed since the Ministry of Justice was established in May 2007, together with reasons for the development, implementation date and cost, are listed as follows.
	
		
			  Project name  Implementation date  Reason for development  Total cost 
			 Athena April 2010 Business Change £600,000 
			 Computer Aided Facilities Management November 2009 Operational Benefit £2.1 million 
			 Corporate Staff Rostering December 2009 Operational Benefit £14.1 million 
			 HMPS Replacement Intranet October 2009 Business Change £3.9 million 
			 Manage Interconnect (MINT) December 2009 Infrastructure development £500,000 
			 NOMSnet September 2008 Infrastructure development £5.3 million 
			 NOMSnet2 December 2009 Infrastructure development £1.5 million 
			 OASys 4.2 March 2008 Business Change £8.5 million 
			 OASys Interim Continuity July 2008 Applications Maintenance £600,000 
			 Oracle Discrete Manufacturing March 2009 Business Application £600,000 
			 OMNI Transformation April 2010 Operational Benefit £35.3 million 
			 Perimeter Security December 2008 Operational Benefit £1.1 million 
			 Phoenix January 2009 Shared Service Development £55.5 million 
			 Shared Services Phoenix March 2010 Shared Service Maintenance £1.7 million 
			  Infrastructure Projects
			 Sharepoint October 2009 Infrastructure £600,000 
			 VISOR May 2008 Business Application £8.1 million 
			 WAN Upgrade January 2009 Infrastructure development £25.7 million 
		
	
	This table includes IT developments costing more than £500,000.
	In addition, details follow of the National Offender Management Service's NOMIS programme.
	
		
			  NOMIS Programme, comprising the following projects 
			  System  Development reasons  Cost of development (up to March 2009)  Implemented 
			 C-NOMIS/Prison- NOMIS C-NOMIS: The C- NOMIS project was intended to provide a single interactive record of offenders in England and Wales across the National Probation Service(NPS) and Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS). Prison-NOMIS: The work done on C-NOMIS has been used as the basis of Prison-, NOMIS. To replace the HMPS case management system, Local Inmate Database System (LIDS), with a single enhanced centralised system The total C-NOMIS historic sunk costs(1) up to December 2007 was £160.7 million. This figure included the costs for requirements definition, application development, testing, implementation and infrastructure. At that time, development costs were not separately identified. Prison-NOMIS £34.5 million Implementation of Prison-NOMIS commenced May2009, expected to complete summer 2010 
			 Probation Case Management System To replace a variety of NPS systems with a centralised version based on a redevelopment of Delius £1.3 million Provisional commencement subject to confirmation 
			 Offender Assessment System- Replacement To replace the existing Offender Assessment Systems, used by HMPS and NPS, with an improved, single and centralised system £1.3 million Implementation expected to commence in 2011 
			 Data Share System To enable staff in both organisations to share core information required to support Offender Management £0.5 million Implementation expected to commence in 2010 
			 (1) Includes £15.6 million of expenditure subsequently classified as an impairment. The £15.6 million relates to the National Audit Office estimate of the costs incurred on the Probation element in C-NOMIS that would not transfer to Prison-NOMIS. 
		
	
	Responsibility for IT systems prior to May 2007 rested in three Departments and it has not been possible to gather information for the earlier years without incurring disproportionate cost. However, available records identify two IT projects, which commenced in the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, which were subsequently terminated. Details are as follows:
	(1) In November 2008, following a review by Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) Board, the Electronic Filing and Document Management programme, which included plans for future investment in ICT, was cancelled. The review concluded that the Electronic Filing and Document Management programme was not affordable. The costs incurred by the programme from commencement of the programme in August 2005 to its closure in November 2008 were £5.9 million.
	(2) The National Enforcement Tracker System (NETS) project was cancelled in August 2007 following a detailed review which highlighted that the cost and scope of the project no longer provided value for money or met current business requirements. Expenditure to closure of the project was £4.3 million. This sum was reported in accordance with HMT accounting rules.
	No other abandoned IT projects have been identified for this period from available records.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which organisations his Department has had exclusivity agreements for information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years; how many such agreements have been breached in each year; and what the cost to his Department was of each breach.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice had one exclusivity agreement with regard to information technology (hardware or software) in the five-year period covered by this question.
	A contract awarded to EDS Ltd. in 1996 for hardware and software (the LOCCS Local Offices and County Courts contract) included an exclusivity provision that related to the award of future work. There has been no breach of the exclusivity terms of that contract, and no costs of breach incurred by the Ministry. The contract was live in the five-year period, but has now expired.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Jack Straw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice currently has no formal contracts for postal services. However, it has a number of local agreements with both Royal Mail and DX limited. We recognise that the absence of established contracts is not satisfactory and are in the process of completing a further competition against the Buying Solutions Postal Framework. It is expected that we will have a formal contract in place by January 2010.

Driving Offences: Reading East and Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) hit and run accidents,  (b) hit and run accidents in which the driver did not have insurance and  (c) hit and run drivers taken to court there were in Reading East constituency in each of the last five years.

Claire Ward: Data on the number of reported hit and run personal injury road accidents in Berkshire and Reading East constituency provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) from 1999 to 2008 can be viewed in Table 1. The DfT do not collect information centrally on uninsured drivers involved in hit and run accidents.
	Information available on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database cannot identify those defendants, proceeded against for offences of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, that have been involved in a hit and run accident.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for the offence of 'failing to stop after an accident' in Thames Valley Police Force Area, from 1998 to 2007 (latest available) are given in Table 2.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level, therefore information is given for the Thames Valley police force area in which the Reading East constituency is located.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of reported hit and run personal injury road accidents in Berkshire and the Reading East parliamentary constituency area, from 1999 to 2008 
			Number 
			   Berkshire  Reading East( 1) 
			 1999 255 37 
			 2000 321 48 
			 2001 288 51 
			 2002 326 52 
			 2003 269 41 
			 2004 249 33 
			 2005 237 35 
			 2006 252 35 
			 2007 249 34 
			 2008 323 59 
			 (1) Based on 2004 Parliamentary Constituency boundaries.  Source:  Department for Transport. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for the offence of failing to stop after an accident( 1, 2, 3)  in the Thames Valley police force area, from 2003 to 2007( 4, 5) 
			  Offence description  Statute  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Failing to stop after accident Road Traffic Act 1988  S. 170(4) 199 208 187 167 164 
			 (1) Not all hit and run incidents are pursued through the courts-minor ones in particular may not involve police attendance and may not be reported to the police by the injured party. (2) Hit and run usually refers to a collision in which someone was injured or killed. The offence of failure to stop is also committed if there has only been damage but such incidents cannot be distinguished from those involving injury or death. (3) A person involved in a hit and run incident may be convicted of a more serious offence such as dangerous driving. (4) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Driving Offences: Reading East and Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many convictions for  (a) drink-driving and  (b) each other motoring offence resulted in a custodial sentence in (i) Reading East constituency and (ii) Berkshire in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people in Reading East constituency have been disqualified from driving as a result of  (a) drink-driving,  (b) speeding and  (c) dangerous or reckless driving since 1999.

Claire Ward: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Elections: Costs

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2009,  Official Report, columns 2251-2W, on elections: costs, in what cases expenditure by hon. Members, other than from parliamentary allowances, is included in the new pre-candidacy election spending limit; and whether expenditure by constituency offices is counted towards that limit.

Jack Straw: Expenditure by hon. Members who intend to stand at the forthcoming general election, other than from Parliamentary allowances, will be regulated by the pre-candidacy election spending limit where it is the case that it satisfies the three conditions clearly set out in the previous answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Justice, 16 September 2009,  Official Report, columns 2252-3W. Where expenditure by hon. Members' constituency offices is in connection with hon. Members' parliamentary duties only, that would not normally be regarded as being 'for electoral purposes'. Such expenditure should not, therefore, be counted against the pre-candidacy expenditure limit.

Elections: Costs

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what types of expenditure will be included in the new pre-candidacy election spending limits; and how expenditure will be calculated against the limits if it partially or wholly promotes local government candidates for a party.

Jack Straw: The types of expenditure which will be regulated by the new pre-candidacy election spending limit, as introduced by section 21 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, are identical to the types of expenditure that are regulated by the pre-existing candidate spending limit. These are listed in Part 1 of Schedule 4A to the Representation of the People Act 1983.
	Expenditure will only be regulated by the pre-candidacy spending limit if it is for the purposes of the candidate's election at the following general election. Expenditure which promotes local government candidates for a party would therefore not be counted against the pre-candidacy spending limit for the general election. Where an item of expenditure promotes both the candidate for the following general election and local government candidates for a party, an appropriate fraction of the costs should be recorded against the pre-candidacy expenditure limit for the general election.
	The Electoral Commission has published detailed draft guidance on its website on candidate election expenses at the forthcoming election, and has stated that it will issue final guidance in December 2009. The Commission's draft guidance includes detailed advice on splitting costs between different campaigns. Its guidance states that the guiding principle when splitting costs is that a candidate
	should make an honest assessment on the facts of the proportion of the costs that can be attributed fairly to (his/her) election expenses-that is, to promoting or processing (his/her) election during the regulated period.

Foreigners: Prisoners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners were ineligible for deportation due to interference with their family life in the last three years.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	As the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency indicated in her letter to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 October (copies available in the Library of both Houses), management information in this area is particularly complex and, as such, identifying the exact number of foreign nationals who became ineligible for deportation due to interference with their family life in any given year would necessitate a review of every case file for each year. This would incur a disproportionate cost.
	The Chief Executive will continue to update the Committee as further data become available.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many applications were received for the position of  (a) chairperson and  (b) board member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; how many such applicants were shortlisted; and when he expects further appointments of board members to be made;
	(2)  what the cost to date has been of establishing the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), including preparation and publication of the report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life on hon. Members' expenses and allowances and the appointments to the IPSA board made to date.

Jack Straw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Intellectual Property: Internet

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there have been for offences of internet piracy in each of the last five years.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of defendants found guilty for offences under the 1988 Copyright, Patents  Designs Act in England  Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	Section 107 of that Act contains a number of offences relating to, for example, the making, importing or distributing of illicit recordings. It is not, however, possible to distinguish between convictions for the offence of online piracy and other forms of piracy, such as the offence of optical media piracy.
	Copying from one media to another becomes a criminal offence under Section 107 only if it is conducted on a scale prejudicial to the interests of the legitimate rights holder, or in the course of business.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences under section 107 of the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, England  Wales, 2003 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			  Offence  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Makes, imports or distributes illicit recordings. Makes for sale or hire, imports possesses or distributes articles which infringes copyright(3) 40 44 85 109 132 
			 Other offences(4) 37 39 55 88 169 
			 Person infringes copyright in a work by communicating the work to the public(5) (6)- 6 13 10 30 
			 Total 77 89 153 207 331 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The Ministry of Justice cannot separate offences relating to Section 107 from those under section 198. (4 )The Ministry of Justice cannot separate offences relating to Section 107 from those under other sections of the Act. Statutes covered by this offence are as follows;  Section 107(1)(c), (1)(d)(i)(ii) and (iii) Section 107(2)(a), (2)(b), (3)(a) and 3(b)  Section 198(1)(c), (1)(d)(i), (ii) and (iii) Section 198 (2)(a) and (b)  Section 201(1)  Section 276 (1)(a) and (b) Section 276 (2)(a) and (b) Section 276 (3)(a) and (b)  Section 279 (3)  Section 297(1). (5) Includes S.107 2A  4A as added by Copyright  Related Rights Regulations Reg. 26 (1). (6 )Not applicable.  Source:  Evidence  Analysis Unit-Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Intellectual Property: Internet

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been levied in fines from those convicted of offences related to internet piracy in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Her Majesty's Court Service systems do not identify the value of fines collected for specific offences and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The total value of all financial penalties collected in England and Wales for the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 212,505,558 
			 2005-06 233,332,326 
			 2006-07 244,555,540 
			 2007-08 256,117,662 
			 2008-09 246,519,704

Interpreters: Finance

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent by  (a) HM Courts Service and  (b) his Department in (i) England and Wales and (ii) Essex on interpreters for (A) suspects, (B) charged individuals and (C) victims of crime who are unable to speak English in each of the last three years.

Bridget Prentice: The information to answer this question is still being collated and verified. I will write to the hon. Member once this process is complete, before Christmas.

Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval: Freedom of Information

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will designate the Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval as a public authority under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Michael Wills: The Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval (JACQA) could be designated as a public authority under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) by means of a section 5 order. The JACQA was not nominated for inclusion in an initial section 5 order during the Government's consultation on this in 2007 (the JACQA was not established until 2008). However, Government are keeping the possibility of further section 5 orders under review and would consider the inclusion of JACQA in a subsequent order as appropriate.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for the commencement of  (a) new reporting and recording thresholds for donations and  (b) section 17 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.

Jack Straw: My right hon. Friend the member for Swindon North wrote to party leaders and representatives of parties with more than two MPs at Westminster on 14 September advising them of the timetable for commencement of the new thresholds for reporting and recording donations and loans in Section 20 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 (the 2009 Act). We intend that commencement will take place in a timescale that brings the limits into force on 1 January 2010.
	Section 17 of the 2009 Act is consequential on Section 15. Taken together, these sections enable holders of elective office to appoint compliance officers to share with them the responsibility for complying with the controls on donations and loans in Schedule 7 and Schedule 7A of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. I intend to commence those provisions so that they come into effect from 1 January 2010.

Prison Accommodation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were transferred  (a) from HM Prison Pentonville to HM Prison Wandsworth and  (b) from HM Prison Wandsworth to HM Prison Pentonville in each of the last 24 months.

Jack Straw: Complete information is not held centrally. Transfers can be carried out by different methods according to the urgency and nature of the transfers, and are recorded in different ways. On 20 October, in response to the hon. Member's urgent question,  Official Report, column 777, I announced that Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons would work with the Ministry of Justice's director of analytical services to investigate whether the temporary transfer of prisoners prior to inspections has occurred in other prisons. Following the completion of this review of transfers prior to inspections, I will write to the hon. Member.

Prison Sentences

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people from Northern Ireland are serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales.

Claire Ward: Information on the nationality of prisoners, rather than their place of birth is collected on the Prison Service IT system. As such, any prisoner from Northern Ireland is recorded as British.
	To obtain the information would require a manual search of the records of around 61,000 sentenced British prisoners which would be required to establish if they were originally from Northern Ireland at a disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Contracts For Services

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons have been market tested; and how much it has cost to market test prisons to date.

Maria Eagle: The following prisons were market tested between 1992 and 2001: Blakenhurst, Brixton, Buckley Hall, Doncaster, Manchester and the Wolds.
	The cost of putting together the public sector bid for these prisons was in a range between £250,000 and £350,000 per prison. There are other administrative and procurement costs which cannot now be identified separately. Experience has shown that the costs of market tests are significantly outweighed by the efficiency savings that the market test process identifies.
	The competition for five prisons, as originally announced on 27 April 2009 by my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw), will commence shortly. Two prisons-Birmingham and Wellingborough-will be market tested during this exercise.

Prisons: Costs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the percentage change in the operational costs of HM Prison Garth was in each of the last five years; and how many  (a) prisoners and  (b) prison officers there were at HM Prison Garth in each such year.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Year on year costs 
			   Prison officers  Prisoners  Change (percentage) 
			 2005-06 187 667 - 
			 2006-07 236 667 6.3 
			 2007-08 245 667 (847) 24.5 
			 2008-09 240 847 3.1 
			 2009-10 (1)233 847 0.1 
			 (1) 31 October 2009

Prisons: Inspections

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 53-54WS, on temporary transfer of prisoners prior to inspection, for what reason the then Governor of HM Prison Wandsworth has not been either  (a) suspended or  (b) placed on detached or alternative duties under Prison Service Order 8460 in respect of the allegations made; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Chief Operating Officer of NOMS carefully considered whether staff should be suspended in advance of any disciplinary hearings. In doing so he followed the principles set out in the Code of Conduct and Discipline and considered the risks to due process and to the Agency should individuals remain in post. It would not be appropriate to comment on decisions made in individual cases.

Prisons: Manpower

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison staff are employed by contracted private companies; and whether these prison officers have personal protective equipment of  (a) extendable batons and  (b) mace spray.

Claire Ward: NOMS does not collate centrally numbers of staff employed by prison establishments which are operated by contracted private companies. I will write to the hon. member with this information as soon as it has been collected.
	Prison custody officers working in private contracted prisons do not routinely carry extendable batons. Private contractor staff who participate in the national response to serious disorder in prisons (Tornado) are trained and issued with side-arm batons for use only as part of any Tornado intervention. Mace spray is not used within public or private prisons in England and Wales. PAVA spray (Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide) is an advanced incapacitant spray which may be deployed within prisons; however, it is not routinely carried or stored within prisons and has been used only six times in the last four years. PAVA is considered to be the safest incapacitant available for anyone who may come into contact with it. The use of PAVA is authorised by a senior prison service manager acting as gold commander during serious incidents of disorder in public or private contracted prisons. It may only be used in these circumstances by selected and highly trained staff from the central Prison Service National Tactical Response Group as such, staff in contracted private prisons do not use PAVA.

Prisons: Mother and Baby Units

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many babies were born to mothers in prison in each month of  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Maria Eagle: Information on, and the number of babies born to mothers during a custodial sentence, is not collected centrally. This could be provided by examining each individual's record, which would be only at disproportionate cost.

Probation: National Offender Management Service

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he will announce the planned  (a) Probation Service and  (b) National Offender Management Service budgets for each (i) probation area and (ii) probation trust in (A) 2010-11 and (B) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: No budgets are set outside of the current comprehensive spending review period, hence there is no information available on the announcement of the 2011-12 budgets. The 2010-11 budget for probation was announced on 29 October by the Secretary of State for Justice as £870 million. This shows an increase on indicative budgets issued for planning purposes of £26 million. The allocation for each probation area and trust will be agreed with the relevant Director of Offender Management before the end of December.

Probation: National Offender Management Service

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on the  (a) Probation Service and  (b) National Offender Management Service in each probation area in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) each of the previous five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) was created as an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice in April 2008 with the goal of helping Prison and Probation services work together to manage offenders throughout their sentences by providing end to end offender management.
	NOMS provides funding for Probation Services for England and Wales.
	 (a) The total figures for the Probation Service are as shown in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Expenditure on the Probation Service 
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2009-10 (1)894 
			 2008-09 (2)897 
			 2007-08 (3)845.3 
			 2006-07 (3)807.1 
			 2005-06 (3)770.2 
			 2004-05 (3)687.0 
			 (1) Budget (2) Provisional expenditure (3) Expenditure 
		
	
	The probation accounts for 2008-09 have not yet been finalised, as a result it is not possible to provide figures by probation area. Probation budget figures have been provided for 2009-10 because the financial year does not end until 31 March 2010. The expenditure by the Probation Service in each of the 42 probation areas for the financial years 2004-05 to 2007-08 is shown in table 3.
	 (b) In addition to funding Probation Services NOMS also funds Custodial Services in England and Wales for both public sector and contractually run prisons, and other associated contracts such as Prisoner Escort and Custody Services and Electronic Monitoring. However, NOMS does not break down all its activities by probation area. The expenditure figures (excluding probation) for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 have been provided in table 2. NOMS budget figure (excluding probation) for 2009-10 has also been provided.
	
		
			  Table 2: NOMS expenditure (excluding probation) 
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2009-10 (1)3,636 
			 2008-09 (2,3)4,047 
			 2007-08 (2)3,877 
			 2006-07 (2)3,551 
			 2005-06 (2)3,264 
			 2004-05 (2)2,993 
			 (1) Budget (2) Expenditure (3) The NOMS expenditure in 2008-09 of £4,046,897,000 includes an impairment charge of £514.1 million comprising £498.5 million for revaluation of land and buildings and £15.6 million for the rescoping of the NOMIS project.  Note: The National Offender Management Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), was established from the 1 April 2008. The figures before this date relate to the old NOMS organisation and include functions that were transferred to the MOJ, including the Youth Justice Board, from the 1 April 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3:  National Probation Service-expenditure by Probation Board 
			  £000 
			   2007-2008  2006-2007  2005-2006  2004-2005 
			 Avon and Somerset 21,237 19,317 17,582 16,859 
			 Bedfordshire 8,566 8,615 8,244 7,086 
			 Cambridgeshire 9,417 9,130 8,800 7,430 
			 Cheshire 13,499 14,733 14,878 12,023 
			 Cumbria 8,368 8,186 7,374 6,496 
			 Derbyshire 13,412 12,738 11,907 11,158 
			 Devon and Cornwall 20,685 18,258 17,683 15,680 
			 Dorset 8,731 8,847 8,060 7,367 
			 Durham 10,671 9,621 9,561 8,549 
			 Essex 19,793 18,081 17,227 16,178 
			 Gloucestershire 7,262 6,892 6,460 5,838 
			 Hampshire 24,836 22,207 21,336 20,032 
			 Hertfordshire 10,930 9,982 9,421 8,092 
			 Kent 20,809 19,795 18,734 16,401 
			 Lancashire 23,486 21,041 20,175 19,327 
			 Lincolnshire 8,878 8,683 8,257 7,178 
			 Norfolk 10,825 10,245 10,187 8,420 
			 Northamptonshire 9,144 8,554 7,753 6,958 
			 North Yorkshire 9,992 8,908 8,511 7,623 
			 Nottinghamshire 18,434 18,219 16,590 14,932 
			 Staffordshire 15,986 15,373 14,521 12,807 
			 Suffolk 8,897 8,629 8,229 6,981 
			 Surrey 10,490 9,792 9,507 8,186 
			 Sussex 16,563 16,305 15,305 13,183 
			 Teesside 13,858 12,780 11,856 10,705 
			 Thames Valley 24,756 23,501 23,218 20,133 
			 Warwickshire 7,071 6,973 6,467 5,728 
			 Wiltshire 7,486 7,458 7,056 5,769 
			 Greater Manchester 47,513 47,384 46,374 41,850 
			 Northumbria 26,488 24,463 23,582 22,559 
			 South Yorkshire 24,312 23,688 22,481 21,149 
			 West Midlands 55,973 53,141 49,506 45,753 
			 West Yorkshire 39,429 37,358 35,083 33,595 
			 London 135,317 134,882 130,657 108,617 
			 Gwent 11,219 10,683 9,553 8,688 
			 North Wales 12,097 11,495 10,710 9,745 
			 Humberside 15,995 15,779 14,796 12,778 
			 Leicestershire 13,846 13,103 12,839 11,394 
			 West Mercia 15,459 13,270 12,985 11,754 
			 Merseyside 27,704 27,652 26,650 24,881 
			 Dyfed Powys 8,305 8,138 7,577 6,462 
			 South Wales 27,603 23,175 22,544 20,619 
			 Total 845,341 807,074 770,236 686,964

Probation: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will visit the Huddersfield probation service office to  (a) meet frontline probation personnel and  (b) discuss staffing levels.

Jack Straw: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Prisons (Maria Eagle) or I will try to find a suitable time to visit Huddersfield probation service office. I am also happy to meet my hon. Friend about the matter.

Prosecutions

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the prosecution rate was in each criminal justice area in each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: Information is not available in the form requested. The police 'recorded crime' data collected by the Home Office are based on the number of crimes recorded in each financial year. As the hon. and learned Member is aware, improvements in the collection and coverage of crime data led to an artificial increase of 14 per cent. in recorded crime in 1998. It is estimated that the effect of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 caused a further increase of 10 per cent. in total recorded crime in its first year. Recorded crime data before 2002 are therefore not comparable with that from 2002-03 onwards. The British Crime Survey was not affected by the changes and its data are comparable year on year, but this has estimates of total crime, including crime not reported to or recorded by the police, and which therefore could not have been prosecuted.

Shoplifting: Convictions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for offences related to shoplifting in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 142W.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Allotments

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance to local authorities to encourage the allocation of more land for allotments.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Children In Care

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities in England and Wales have contracted out their provision for care leavers.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department and its agencies  (a) the then Secretary of State,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) officials of its agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: My right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State, attended one Christmas function in 2008. She also hosted one Christmas function at a cost of £330.60. The other information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: The Department  (a) and its agencies  (b) have spent the following on Christmas cards, parties and decorations in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  £ 
			   (i) Cards  (ii) Parties  (iii) Decorations 
			 Communities and Local Government 2,630.82 0 1,036.80 
			 Fire Service College 796.56 0 0 
			 Planning Inspectorate 0 0 0 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 0 0 800 
		
	
	The Department's expenditure on decorations relates to a Christmas tree in the reception area.
	In relation to Christmas functions/parties, the Department has interpreted this to mean internal, departmental Christmas functions/parties. On this basis, the Department can confirm that no official funds were used for Christmas parties in 2008.

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009,  Official Report, column 479W, on community relations, how much his Department plans to allocate in total to Prevent-related  (a) national projects,  (b) local authority projects and (c) community leadership fund projects in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Shahid Malik: The Department plans to spend the following amounts to support Prevent-related projects. In 2009-10 £16.5 million was paid through the area based grant to local authorities, and in 2010-11 local authorities will receive a further £24 million through the ABG-to support local Prevent work.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Funding in: 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 National projects 7.08 million 10.72 million 
			 Local authority projects and Government office capacity building(1) 3.95 million 750,000 
			 Community Leadership Fund projects 1,664.940 million 1,024.179 million 
			 (1) Excluding area based grant-but including £3.2 million Challenge and Innovation Fund paid in 2009-10

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement on 14 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 30-32WS, on connecting communities, how many areas will receive funding from the Connecting Communities programme; and what criteria will be used to select those areas.

Barbara Follett: We aim to support about 100 areas in this financial year to re-invigorate neighbourhoods that are feeling the pressure from the recession most acutely. The first 27 areas to receive help from the £12 million Strong Connecting Communities fund were announced on 14 October this year and we expect to announce further areas in early December.
	The neighbourhoods have been identified after the examination of a range of hard and soft data on cohesion; deprivation and crime; perceived unfairness in the allocation of resources and feedback from people working locally. Although there are modest additional resources available for support specific to the individual area, the focus will be on working through mainstream government and local programmes and using resources already allocated to the target areas. We aim to help local authorities ensure that residents are aware of the opportunities and services to them and to give them the tools to influence what happens in their local area.

Council Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much historic housing debt remains a local authority responsibility.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Council Housing: Sales

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in  (a) England and  (b) Leeds local authority area applied to buy their council house under the right to buy scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 14 October 2009,  Official Report, column 977W, for figures showing local authority right to buy applications up to 2008-09, by local authority.

Council Housing: Standards

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on renovation of damp properties under the decent homes standard.

Ian Austin: holding answer 11 November 2009
	 To be decent, a home must be free of all category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and also meet other criteria. Damp is one of the 29 hazards within the HHSRS. A home is considered to be non decent through a HHSRS failure.
	Guidance on the Decent Homes standard can be found in sections 4 and 5 of A Decent Homes: definition and guidance for implementation, June 2006. This is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/138355.pdf
	Guidance on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System can be found in Housing Health and Safety Rating System, Guidance for landlords and property related professionals at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/150940.pdf

Council Housing: Standards

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what appeals process exists for local authority tenants who are refused improvements required to attain the decent homes standard.

Ian Austin: holding answer 11 November 2009
	 It is up to individual landlords to decide, in consultation with their tenants, what works are required to bring their properties up to the decent homes standard. Tenants should not be refused work under the decent homes programme. However if they are unable to resolve an issue informally with landlords they can make a formal complaint. If the tenant still feels that the landlord has not provided the appropriate level of service or taken due care after an internal complaint then the local government ombudsman may be able to investigate.

Council Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the estimated cost to the public purse would be of extending the council tax single person discount to households where one or more member is serving with the armed forces overseas;
	(2)  what the estimated cost to the public purse would be of extending council tax single person discount to households where one or more member is in prison.

Barbara Follett: No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of extending the single person's discount scheme.

Council Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account was taken of the effect of council tax on the families of  (a) military personnel serving overseas and  (b) prisoners on remand when setting the conditions for the single person discount.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The treatment of service personnel and prisoners in relation to council tax single person discount has not changed since council tax was introduced in 1993. The legislation reflects the fact that generally prisoners have no means to support their families in paying the tax.

Council Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households received council tax single person discount where the single adult's spouse was  (a) engaged in military services overseas and  (b) in prison in the latest period for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	Single person discount is not granted to spouses of service personnel who are serving abroad. On 25 September 2007, the Ministry of Defence announced a non-statutory council tax relief scheme. The scheme provides a lump-sum payment to service personnel who pay council tax for a property in the UK or who pay contributions in lieu of council tax (CILOCT) for service family accommodation (SFA) and are on operational deployments overseas. These payments are based on 25 per cent. of the average council tax per dwelling in England and is updated annually in line with council tax increases. This scheme is administered directly by the MOD.
	We do not collect centrally the number of households that receive council tax single person discount where the single adult's spouse is in prison. This is a matter for individual local authorities.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government paid 90.59 per cent. of invoices within 10 days in September and 93.38 per cent. of invoices within 10 days in October. The value of invoices paid within 10 days in September was over £2.8 billion and in October was over £2.4 billion.

Departmental Contracts

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what companies  (a) his Department,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (d) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy have contracted with in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Barbara Follett: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: Display Energy Certificate (DEC) energy ratings and bands for buildings occupied by Communities and Local Government and its executive agencies are detailed as follows:
	
		
			2008  2009 
			  Property centre  Building name  Operational rating (A-G)  Operational rating (numerical)  Operational rating (A-G)  Operational rating (numerical) 
			  CLG-Central Eland House F 127 E 108 
			  Hempstead House B 50 B 48 
			  Ashdown House G 171 No longer occupied by CLG 
			  Executive Agencies Fire Service College D 87 Not yet available 
			  Planning Inspectorate G 168 G 152 
			  Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre F 132 F 126 
			  Note: These data do not include the Government Office Network. 
		
	
	The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) also publishes central Government Departments' Display Energy Certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level twice a year. The most recent data, published on 31 July 2009, contain DEC data up to and including 28 February 2009. Data relating to the month ending 30 September 2009 will be published on 18 December 2009. This information can be found at:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/sustainability_ programme_progress.asp
	The table OGC is publishing will also include DEC reference numbers for each building, which can be used to view each building's advisory report on the following website:
	https://www.ndepcregister.com/home.html

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 16 July 2009,  Official Report, column 648W, on departmental ministerial policy advisers, how many specialist staff are employed by his Department on a fixed-term contract to provide policy advice; and what the  (a) title and  (b) policy specialism is of each such member of staff.

Barbara Follett: All civil servants are employed to provide impartial advice to Ministers and are engaged on fixed-term, permanent or other recognised contractual terms.
	The number of staff on fixed-term contracts varies according to business need. 43 staff are recorded as being employed on this basis.
	Our HR database does not record an official job title or policy specialism.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Barbara Follett: Press officers in the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and it's executive agencies claimed £2,492.63 in reimbursable expenses in 2008-09.

Departmental Political Activities

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2009,  Official Report, column 474W, on party conferences, how much each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies spent sending representatives to attend each of the party political conferences in 2009.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 474-75W. Please see following table.
	
		
			  Body  Total spend (£) 
			 Audit Commission 58,760 
			 Community Development Foundation 1,300 
			 Homes and Communities Agency 1,770 
			 Standards Board for England 54,060 
			 Tenant Services Authority 2,920 
		
	
	Most of the Audit Commission's and the Standards Board's expenditure was on exhibitor costs, as approved by the Department's Accounting Officer after he had considered business cases from the bodies.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Barbara Follett: Since July 2004 mail services for the Department's headquarters buildings have been provided under the Integrated Facilities Management contract with Mitie which runs until July 2011. Mitie currently use Royal Mail for the despatch of national mail items and Corporate Mailing Services (CMS) for international mail items under sub-contract arrangements they have in place with those companies.
	During the period in question mail services for the Fire Service College and QE11 Centre have been provided by Royal Mail. Mail services for the Planning Inspectorate have been provided by Royal Mail and City link Post.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies on procurement under tender because the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: The Department does not hold this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has had no cancelled tenders in the last 12 months.
	Fire Service College has not cancelled any tenders in the 12 months.
	Planning Inspectorate and Ordnance Survey would be able to supply this information only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Recruitment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, if he will publish the job specification of the  (a) Policy Adviser-Local Government Restructuring,  (b) Policy Adviser-Strategy and Performance and  (c) Project Adviser-Local Analysis and Delivery Unit; and whether each is assigned to work primarily for a particular Minister.

Barbara Follett: Officials at this level in the Department provide advice and support to Ministers, working on a flexible basis in policy teams. In these cases the teams are in local government restructuring, strategy and performance and local area analysis.
	Summaries of the job specifications for each of the roles are as follows:
	 (a) The role of the Policy Adviser, Local Government Restructuring, is to contribute to the work of the local government reorganisation team through assisting in project management; updating project plans and monitoring progress; communications, including designing and maintaining internet pages; drafting ministerial and treat official correspondence; collating and analysing representations from the public in relation to the Boundary Committee's advice; assisting in the development of regulations and assisting in the formulation of advice using GIS software.
	 (b) The role of the Policy Adviser, Strategy and Performance, as with all members of the Strategy and Performance team, is to provide additional policy advice and flexible support to officials and Ministers across the Department as business need demands. The individual in this specific post currently provides support on housing and planning issues.
	 (c) The role of the Project Adviser, Local Analysis and Delivery Unit is to work as part of a priority project team which undertakes projects as commissioned by the Local Government Director General's meeting and reports the findings to this group and LPD Programme Board. The role also supports the project team leader to establish and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders in other Government Departments, Government offices for the Region, local areas and agencies in order to identify issues and engage stakeholders in priority project work.

Departmental Recruitment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, which posts filled by his Department in the nine months up to the end of May 2009 were not advertised on either his Department's public website or on the public part of the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway; and what the job title and remit was of each such vacancy.

Barbara Follett: Permanent civil servants are appointed through fair and open competition. Staff are, from time to time, recruited through restricted competition on a time-limited basis to provide additional expertise, skills and capacity as required.
	The following vacancies were not advertised publicly and were filled through limited competition. The remit of each vacancy was as follows:
	
		
			   Vacancy title  Remit 
			 1. Assistant Scientific Officer Resilience Research 
			 2. Rapid Review Project Team Member Local Performance and Delivery 
			 3. Policy and Delivery Manager FiReControl 
			 4. Executive Meetings Owner FiReControl 
			 5. Head of Local Communications Research Information and Communications Unit 
			 6. Temporary Statistical Officer Analysis Team 
			 7. HEO Transition Co-ordinator FiReControl Transition Team 
			 8. Personal Assistant Housing 
			 9. Executive Officer Local Transformation, Improvement and Efficiency 
			 10. Policy Officer Mobility and Choice 
			 11. Executive Officer Mobility and Choice 
			 12. Executive Officer Mobility and Choice 
			 13. Personal Assistant FiReControl 
			 14. Executive Officer Mobility and Choice 
			 15. Mobility Services Delivery Manager 
			 16. Personal Assistant Migration 
			 17. Grade 6 Residential Property Tribunal Service 
			 18. Marketing Manager Planning Portal 
			 19. Grade 7 member of Legal Directorate Lawyer 
			 20. Personal Assistant Strategy and Performance 
			 21. Project Adviser Local Analysis and Delivery Unit 
			 22. Team Leader Olympics Legacy Planning and Delivery 
			 23. Development Team Admin Planning Portal 
			 24. HR Helpdesk operator Human Resources 
			 25. Policy Adviser Local Government Restructuring 
			 26. Member Workforce Equalities Team (Project Officer) Workforce Equalities 
			 27. HR Communications Manager Human Resources 
			 28. Women's Engagement Officer Preventing Extremism Delivery

Departmental Recruitment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, which individuals were employed in the positions of  (a) Policy Adviser-Local Government Restructuring and  (b) Policy Adviser-Strategy and Performance.

Barbara Follett: It is standard practice not to identify junior staff holding particular posts. The holders of these posts fall within that category.
	Information about the senior civil servants responsible for specific business areas in the Department can be found annually in the Civil Service Yearbook.

Departmental Recruitment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, for what reasons the position of  (a) Policy Adviser-Local Government Restructuring and  (b) Policy Adviser-Strategy and Performance, was not publicly advertised.

Barbara Follett: The two policy adviser roles were not publicly advertised as the Civil Service Recruitment Principles allow for appointments to be made through limited competition as exceptions to fair and open competition where they believe this is justified by the needs of the civil service.
	The role of Policy Adviser, Local Government Restructuring was not publicly advertised because the role had been filled on a temporary basis by an individual found through a recruitment agency. This individual proved successful in the role and was offered a fixed-term appointment.
	For the role of Policy Adviser, Strategy and Performance, a suitable candidate was identified with specific capabilities and experience. Candidates are sourced for these appointments through recruitment agencies and through contacts such as stakeholders with whom the Department engages regularly, who may be able to assist with vacancies which require specific skills.
	In both cases, the candidates were judged to have the necessary capability to be effective in the roles. As such, the jobs were not advertised more widely.

Departmental Recruitment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, what processes are used to hire staff through limited competition on a time-limited basis; and how this recruitment process differs from usual practice.

Barbara Follett: Candidates are sourced for fixed-term appointments through recruitment agencies and through contacts such as stakeholders with whom the Department engages regularly, who may be able to assist with vacancies which require specific capabilities or experience.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Ian Austin: As a matter of course, Communities and Local Government publishes information from all of its statistical datasets which meets the definition of 'official statistics' set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the 'Code of Practice for Official Statistics' and the 'National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics'.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how his Department evaluates the effectiveness of empty dwelling management orders.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of home information packs produced in the last 12 months.

John Healey: We estimate that 815,922 home information packs were produced between 3 November 2008 and 1 November 2009.

Homelessness: South East

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless people there were in  (a) North East Milton Keynes constituency,  (b) Buckinghamshire and  (c) the South East in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The regional figures for the number of applicants accepted as owed a main duty and the number of households in temporary accommodation, for each financial year since 1998-99 can be found in tables 3 and 7 of the latest Statistical Release. The equivalent 1997-98 figures can be found in earlier additions of the release, accessible from this link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data are not collected at constituency level. North East Milton Keynes is one of the two constituencies that form the local authority of Milton Keynes. Data are not reported at county level. Buckinghamshire includes the following local authorities: Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, Milton Keynes, South Bucks and Wycombe.
	For local authority level acceptance and temporary accommodation figures between 1997-98 and 2008-09 (including those listed above), I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 843W.
	Information is also collected and reported on the number of people who sleep rough-that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. Local authority data and count guidance can be found here:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/roughsleeping/

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which HomeBuy agents were appointed by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor in each of the last three years; and how much was paid to each agent in each such year;
	(2)  how much  (a) his Department,  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency,  (c) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy and  (d) the Tenant Services Authority expects to spend on Christmas parties in 2009;
	(3)  what  (a) drinks receptions,  (b) seminars and  (c) conferences have been hosted by (i) his Department, (ii) the Tenant Services Authority, (iii) the Homes and Communities Agency and (iv) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy in each of the last 12 months;
	(4)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has spent on staff costs related to the HCA Academy;
	(5)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor paid in social housing grants in relation to  (a) low cost home ownership,  (b) social rent and  (c) works to registered social landlords' housing stock in each of the last three years;
	(6)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor received in interest payments in each of the last three years;
	(7)  what the monetary value of  (a) buildings and  (b) leases owned by (i) the Tenant Services Authority and (ii) the Homes and Communities Agency and their predecessors and used as offices was in each of the last three years;
	(8)  what assessment the Homes and Communities Agency has made of the  (a) costs and  (b) benefits to it related to changes in taxation levels during 2009-10; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what  (a) shareholdings and  (b) subsidiaries the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) owns; what the purpose of ownership of each stake is; what the HCA's shareholding represents as a percentage of the overall shares; and what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of each stake;
	(10)  what sums the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor charged to other public sector bodies in each of the last three years;
	(11)  for how much the Homes and Communities Agency's land at the Gateway site in Harlow was  (a) purchased and  (b) sold;
	(12)  what the average per household entitlement to the proceeds of future sales of properties owned by the Homes and Communities Agency is under each HomeBuy scheme;
	(13)  what the monetary value of the sums owed  (a) by and  (b) to the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor was in each of the last three years; and how much of each amount is due to be paid in each of the next three years;
	(14)  how many property interests with negative value the Homes and Communities Agency holds; and if he will make a statement;
	(15)  how many bad debts the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor acquired in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value of each such debt was;
	(16)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency spent in acquiring  (a) St. Clement's Hospital, London and  (b) Castle College Northside, Sheffield; and if he will make a statement;
	(17)  what business EP(LP) Ltd undertakes as a subsidiary of the Homes and Communities Agency; and if he will make a statement;
	(18)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the Homes and Communities Agency's Single Equality Scheme;
	(19)  what the reasons were for the requirement for an advance from the National Loans Fund to the Homes and Communities Agency as referred to on page 56 of the Agency's Annual Report and Financial Statement 2008/09;
	(20)  what the components are of the impairment charge referred to on page 74 of the Homes and Communities Agency's Annual Report and Financial Statement 2008/09;
	(21)  what the net cost to the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor was of each bad debt incurred against it in each of the last three years;
	(22)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) management agreement and  (b) financial framework in operation between his Department and the Homes and Communities Agency;
	(23)  what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the entitlements of the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor to future sale proceeds resulting from the sale of homes under  (a) HomeBuy Direct,  (b) OwnHome,  (c) Open Market HomeBuy,  (d) MyChoice HomeBuy,  (e) New Build HomeBuy and  (f) Social HomeBuy in each of the last three years;
	(24)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor paid in loans to water companies in each of the last three years;
	(25)  how many private finance initiative credits the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor allocated in each of the last three years;
	(26)  how many Homes and Communities Agency employees received  (a) performance-related payments,  (b) other taxable benefits and  (c) benefits in kind in respect of the year to March 2009; and how much was spent on such payments;
	(27)  what salary has been set for each Homes and Communities Agency regional director for 2009-10;
	(28)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency secured in private sector contributions to its property and regeneration programme in 2008-09;
	(29)  what target was set for the Homes and Communities Agency in respect of low cost homes ownership starts in 2008-09; and what target has been set for 2009-10;
	(30)  how much each board member of the Homes and Communities Agency Academy has been paid since their appointment;
	(31)  on what dates the Homes and Communities Agency's Rural Housing Group has met since 1 December 2008; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting;
	(32)  what the net value of assets held by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor was in each of the last three years;
	(33)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor spent on  (a) the Property and Regeneration Scheme,  (b) the National Affordable Housing Programme,  (c) the Community Infrastructure Fund,  (d) Homes and Communities Agency Academy and  (e) the Decent Homes programme in each of the last three years;
	(34)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor spent on  (a) Places of Change,  (b) the Thames Gateway and  (c) growth funding in each of the last three years;
	(35)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on the Hanham Hall development  (a) in total and  (b) per unit;
	(36)  how many new homes have been built with support from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor on  (a) brownfield and  (b) greenfield sites in each of the last three years;
	(37)  what role the Homes and Communities Agency has had in the delivery of  (a) the Mortgage Rescue Scheme and  (b) the National Clearing House;
	(38)  how many projects the Homes and Communities Agency has supported through community infrastructure funding;
	(39)  how many local authorities received loans from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years; and how much was provided in such loans in each such year;
	(40)  how many registered social landlords received loans from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years; and how much was provided in such loans in each such year;
	(41)  what estimate he has made of the amount of Homes and Communities Agency liabilities in each of the next three years;
	(42)  what estimate he has made of the amount of debts due to the Homes and Communities Agency in each of the next three years;
	(43)  what Homes and Communities Agency assets are available for sale; and what the book value of such assets was in each of the last three years;
	(44)  what target was set for the Homes and Communities Agency in relation to private sector investment in its property and regeneration programme in 2008-09; and what target has been set for 2009-10;
	(45)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on its National Consultancy Unit since the creation of that unit;
	(46)  what percentage of the asset writedown due to impairment of development assets referred to on pages 83 and 97 of the Homes and Communities Agency's Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09 relates to assets previously held by  (a) English Partnerships,  (b) the Housing Corporation and  (c) the Academy for Sustainable Communities;
	(47)  what percentage of the asset writedown due to impairment of development assets referred to on pages 83 and 97 of the Homes and Communities Agency's Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09 relates to  (a) land and  (b) property assets;
	(48)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on the Future Communities website; and how many  (a) unique visitors and  (b) page impressions have been recorded by the site since its creation;
	(49)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor spent on the employment of temporary staff in each of the last three years;
	(50)  pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 1121-22, on departmental recruitment, who was engaged by his Department to advise on and oversee the recruitment process for the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenants Services Agency; what the terms of the contract with his Department was; and what procurement process was followed in respect of the contract;
	(51)  pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1124W, on the Homes and Communities Agency: consultants, how much the Homes and Communities Academy spent on  (a) the National and Regional Delivery Structure project,  (b) the Brownfield Skills project,  (c) the Endorsement Framework project,  (d) the Benchmark and Toolkit project,  (e) the Practical Knowledge to Support delivery project and  (f) the Programme staff costs project; and how much of each sum was spent on consultancy costs;
	(52)  how many sites listed as  (a) Grade I and  (b) Grade II the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor has redeveloped in each of the last three years; and how many homes have been built on such sites;
	(53)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency spent under each budget category in exhibiting a show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009;
	(54)  when he expects to make a decision on the future of the pilot Rent to HomeBuy scheme;
	(55)  what the financial exposure of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) was in each of the last three years; and to how many single counterparties of more than  (a) £50 million and  (b) £100 million the HCA is exposed;
	(56)  how much was transferred from the Homes and Communities Agency to the Government Banking Service at the end of each of the last 30 days for which figures are available;
	(57)  how much grant-in-aid funding from his Department was drawn down by the Homes and Communities Agency in each of the last  (a) 24 weeks and  (b) 12 months;
	(58)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent  (a) in total and  (b) on each housing association (i) shared ownership products and (ii) try before you buy homes in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(59)  how much has been spent by the Homes and Communities Agency on providing  (a) signage and  (b) security for the site at (A) St Clements Hospital, London and (B) Castle College Northside, Sheffield;
	(60)  how many  (a) mobile telephones,  (b) personal digital assistants and  (c) laptops computers were purchased by the (i) Tenant Services Authority and (ii) Homes and Communities Agency in the last 12 months;
	(61)  with which  (a) central Government bodies,  (b) local authorities and  (c) public corporations the Homes and Communities Agency held balances in each of the last three years;
	(62)  which sites have been purchased for development by the Homes and Communities Agency from public sector bodies; from which organisations such sites were purchased; and how many such sites have been sold;
	(63)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency paid for each piece of surplus public sector land it purchased in each of the last five years; and for how much each site was subsequently sold;
	(64)  what  (a) mortality and  (b) financial assumptions were made by (i) his Department, (ii) the Homes and Communities Agency and (iii) the Tenant Services Authority in relation to its pension scheme in each of the last three years.

John Healey: Notice of these questions was only received on 11 November and it has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Homes and Communities Agency: Consultants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1124W, on the Homes and Communities Agency: consultants, 
	(1)  how much was spent by Homes and Communities Agency on High Profile Events; how much of that was spent on consultancy costs; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was spent by Homes and Communities Academy on the Leadership of Space project; and how much of that was spent on consultancy costs;
	(3)  how much was spent by the Homes and Communities Academy on the new products and programmes project; and how much of that was spent on consultancy costs;
	(4)  how much was spent by the Homes and Communities Academy on the Skills Action Plan project; and how much of that was spent on consultancy costs.

John Healey: The figures requested are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Event/project  Total spend  Of which: Consultancy spend 
			 New products and programmes (1)131,000 48,000 
			 High Profile Events (2)282,000 1,000 
			 Leadership of Space 27,000 3,000 
			 Skills Action Plan 65,000 53,000 
			 (1) Includes event management, travel, marketing, staff salaries and press cuttings costs. (2) Includes grants and marketing costs.

Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by the Homes and Communities Agency Academy on  (a) developing,  (b) publicising and  (c) conducting its online introductory course for place-making; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The development cost associated with the academy's 10 week online workshops were incurred prior to the creation of the Homes and Communities Agency. Publicity costs have amounted to £816. The continued support costs associated with the course are £21,000 to deliver seven workshops since 1 April 2009. The total costs to date are therefore £21,816, which equates to a cost per person of £33.72. The workshops give practitioners and professionals advice, guidance and support from experienced tutors.

Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what forecasts of housing market trends  (a) his Department,  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (c) the Tenant Services Authority have commissioned;
	(2)  what the average cost per unit is of building a home on the Hanham Hall site in Bristol;
	(3)  how much surplus public sector land there was in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area in each of the last eight quarters;
	(4)  how many affordable homes were built in rural areas in each year since 1997;
	(5)  how many sites on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land have been on the register for longer than  (a) six months and  (b) 12 months;
	(6)  how many sites on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land are classed as suitable for new homes to be built on; and what estimate has been made of the number of new homes which could be built on such sites;
	(7)  what recent progress has been made on the National Coalfields Programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what his most recent estimate is of the average cost of building a home which meets Sustainable Code Level  (a) 5,  (b) 6 and  (c) 6*;
	(9)  how many homes were purchased under the National Clearing House scheme in each of the last three years; and how many such homes were subsequently  (a) sold,  (b) used for affordable rent,  (c) purchased under shared ownership and  (d) unused.

Ian Austin: Notice of these questions was received on 11 November and it has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing Benefit

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to landlords of the introduction of direct payment of local housing allowance in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) each of the subsequent five years.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities would have to take on historic debt in addition to that already held under the Government's preferred option for housing revenue account reform.

Ian Austin: The debt allocated to each council under self-financing would be set at a level which it could support within a sustainable business plan which delivers the extra investment needed while continuing to set social rents in line with national policy.
	The amount of housing debt allocated to each council will depend on a range of variables in addition to assumptions on annual management, maintenance and repairs costs. These include rent levels, interest rates, the pricing of risk and the funding of the backlog of repairs. The work on assessing these issues has not yet been completed so I am not now in a position to estimate the amount of debt each council would hold under the new system. I am however clear that the additional spending on management, maintenance and major repairs which we have committed to fund as part of our reforms mean that all councils would be better off under self-financing than they would be if the current system continued unreformed.

Housing: Building Regulations

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the cost-benefit impact assessment of funding for overground oil tanks contained in Proposals for amending the approved document J (combustion appliances and fuel storage systems) of the Buildings Regulations omitted  (a) the potential wider costs to the environment and the potential health implications of water and environmental contamination,  (b) the benefit to tank manufacturers of selling a high-specification tank as standard and  (c) any estimate of the damage caused by non-reported spillages; and if he will commission a further impact assessment study.

Ian Austin: The consultation stage impact assessment, which was included in my Department's consultation document on proposals for amending part J of the building regulations, explains in some detail how the potential benefits of bunding all domestic oil tanks has been estimated.
	 (a) A figure for environmental damage of £10,000 per incident is included in the assessment. This is an indicative estimated average provided by the Environment Agency.
	 (b) The benefits to manufacturers were not considered to be significant but manufacturers of oil tanks may wish to provide estimates of this in their response to the consultation.
	 (c) There is no way of reliably assessing the number of unreported incidents, however the sensitivity analysis, included in the impact assessment suggests that only a very high number of unreported incidents would affect the conclusions of the assessment.
	The consultation specifically invites comments on the impact assessment and my Officials have already been in discussion with the Oil Firing Technical Association and the Environment Agency to see if the impact assessment can be improved. It is normal practice to revisit an impact assessment once a consultation is complete.

Housing: Construction

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) council houses,  (b) social houses for rent,  (c) affordable houses for sale and  (d) other private houses to be built in the year ending 1 April 2010.

Ian Austin: The Department does not publish forecasts for house building.
	The most recent information on new build housing are shown in the house building statistical release for April to June 2009 on the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/housebuildingq22009rev
	Information on the number of council homes and private homes built in England, up to 2008-09, are included in Live Table 209 on the CLG. Figures for 2009-10 will be released by CLG in August 2010.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/323495.xls
	Information on new build of social rent and affordable homes for sale to 2007-08 are included in Live Table 1009 on the CLG website. Figures for 2008-09 will be released by CLG in December 2009.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1319866.xls
	Information on the number of homes completed under the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) for April to September 2009 will be released by the HCA on 24 November.

Housing: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have been built in  (a) Peterborough constituency,  (b) Cambridgeshire and  (c) the East of England since 1997.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing: Fire Prevention

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of his Department's guidelines contained in the  (a) Decent Homes Standard and  (b) Housing Health and Safety Rating System in respect of fire safety.

Ian Austin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Housing: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions  (a) he and  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have had with the Mayor of London on (i) the HCA's Public Land Initiative and (ii) the Mayor's audit of surplus Greater London Authority (GLA) land; how much of the surplus GLA land falls under the Public Land Initiative; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: In September 2009 I discussed the delivery of affordable housing in London and the Public Land Initiative investment launched as part of the Government's Housing Pledge with the Mayor of London, and I also wrote to the Mayor stressing the important contribution that surplus public sector land can make to increasing the supply of homes across all tenures, and suggested that the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), London Development Agency (LDA) and Transport for London (TfL) should be asked urgently to prepare a joint plan for managing their land assets to support affordable housing delivery in London.
	Officials from the HCA are continuing to examine with Greater London Authority (GLA) officials ways to increase home building, in particular affordable homes, on surplus land belonging to the GLA, including the LDA and TfL.
	None of the GLA's surplus land currently falls under the Public Land Initiative. Early this month I wrote to the Mayor of London proposing that he should work with HCA on this specific initiative to support delivery of homes in London.

Housing: Low Incomes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what categories of community land trust are recognised by his Department.

John Healey: The definition of Community Land Trusts is set out in section 79 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.

Housing: Low Incomes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider the merits of extending his Department's Kickstart Housing Delivery fund to rural areas.

John Healey: The Housing Kickstart Programme, managed by the Homes and Communities Agency, operates across the whole of England including rural areas, where it has a lower threshold for schemes to enable typically smaller schemes to be considered. In Round one of the Kickstart programme 23 of the 91 projects now approved are in rural areas. These will generate over 1,600 homes with investment of around £37 million.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing tenants joined the Rent to HomeBuy scheme in each of the last three years.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 June 2009,  Official Report, column 751W.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing tenants purchased equity in a home through  (a) HomeBuy Direct,  (b) Rent to HomeBuy,  (c) Open Market HomeBuy,  (d) MyChoice HomeBuy,  (e) OwnHome,  (f) First Time Buyer's Initiative,  (g) New Build HomeBuy and  (h) Social HomeBuy in each of the last three years.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) on 8 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 448-489W.

Housing: Owner Occupation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeowners there were in  (a) Vale of Clwyd,  (b) each region of England,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland and  (e) Northern Ireland in each of the last 20 years.

Ian Austin: Annual survey-based estimates of the number of homeowners in each region of the United Kingdom are set out in the following tables for the years 1996 to 2008.
	Information prior to 1996 is not readily available and estimates for the parliamentary constituency of the Vale of Clwyd are not held by this Department.
	
		
			  Number of homeowners in UK by region 1996 to 2008 
			  Households ( T housand) 
			   North East  North West  Yorks and Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  Eastern  London  South East  South West  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  United Kingdom 
			 1996 658 1,912 1,345 1,188 1,444 1,535 1,653 2,361 1,449 833 1,270 383 16,032 
			 1997 672 1,924 1,362 1,209 1,455 1,546 1,641 2,369 1,443 861 1,283 395 16,160 
			 1998 672 1,939 1,353 1,235 1,510 1,593 1,645 2,379 1,482 838 1,297 418 16,363 
			 1999 659 1,976 1,410 1,253 1,507 1,627 1,681 2,448 1,523 856 1,328 426 16,694 
			 2000 689 2,017 1,441 1,269 1,512 1,644 1,740 2,484 1,536 855 1,357 433 16,976 
			 2001 687 2,021 1,427 1,269 1,520 1,675 1,742 2,447 1,564 874 1,388 452 17,065 
			 2002 708 2,023 1,466 1,276 1,584 1,651 1,720 2,538 1,583 887 1,446 455 17,336 
			 2003 730 2,081 1,500 1,300 1,564 1,667 1,722 2,555 1,574 922 1,472 456 17,540 
			 2004 719 2,041 1,525 1,339 1,558 1,700 1,698 2,528 1,558 902 1,533 469 17,572 
			 2005 731 2,037 1,510 1,324 1,607 1,709 1,701 2,582 1,576 908 1,548 492 17,725 
			 2006 735 2,093 1,518 1,361 1,554 1,704 1,664 2,563 1,589 924 1,511 483 17,699 
			 2007 723 2,097 1,519 1,354 1,584 1,677 1,643 2,539 1,583 927 1,529 495 17,671 
			 2008 721 2,030 1,534 1,355 1,549 1,719 1,644 2,475 1,590 909 1,546 499 17,571 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics, Labour Force Survey, 1996-2008

Housing: Regeneration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by each Pathfinder Partnership operating in the North and the Midlands.

Rosie Winterton: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Local Government: Leeds and Greater Manchester

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent assessment is of the progress of the city region pilots in  (a) Leeds and  (b) Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The city-region pilots are recognition of the strategic importance of city-regions in realising the shared objective of increased and sustained economic growth.
	Good progress has been made in discussions with Greater Manchester and Leeds city region building on the priorities set out in April's Budget Statement.
	Joint teams of Government and local officials have been working intensively to reach an agreement for both city regions on proposals to develop new strategy-setting powers over adult skills funding; aligned investment to support regeneration and housing; and robust governance arrangements necessary for increased responsibility for transport.
	In discussions with Greater Manchester, there has also been a focus on improving the early years experience and life chances of people living in the most deprived areas. We are working with Leeds city region to build on its existing research strengths and maximise its potential for science excellence through a joint innovation strategy.
	We anticipate that full details will be announced by the end of the year when new agreements are expected with Greater Manchester and Leeds city region.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 8 September 2009, on the new regional strategy in relation to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill.

Rosie Winterton: A response was sent to the hon. Member's letter on 7 October 2009.

Microgeneration

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the implementation of Planning Policy Statement 22 on the number of schools, charities and voluntary organisations which generate renewable energy.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Monuments: Armed Conflict

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to ensure that the revised Planning Policy Statement 15 on the historic environment makes specific reference to the protection of war memorials.

Ian Austin: 1 will write to the hon. Member and place copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme to date;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme to date.

John Healey: We have acted rapidly to put in place a range of help and support for households struggling with their mortgage at every stage.
	The Department spent £905,334 (excluding VAT) on legal, IT and operational services to develop and implement Homeowners Mortgage Support. Ongoing operational costs to 31 October 2009 were £92,860 (excluding VAT).
	Additionally, PricewaterhouseCoopers have provided commercial expertise to support development of our interventions to prevent repossessions, in particular to inform negotiations with lenders on their forbearance policies and liaison with the money advice sector, and advise on the interface with the regulatory framework. The total cost was £1,143,883 (excluding VAT). Statistics from the Financial Services Authority show that by June 2009, over 135,000 borrowers were benefiting from forbearance offered by their lender, an increase of 74 per cent. on the previous year.

Neighbourhood Wardens

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many neighbourhood wardens were funded by his Department in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Non-Domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) crematoriums,  (b) funeral parlours and chapels of rest and  (c) cemeteries (i) there were on the 2005 Rating List and (ii) there are on the draft 2010 Rating List; what the aggregate rateable value is of the premises on each list; and what methodology the Valuation Office Agency used to rate (A) the crematoriums and (B) funeral parlours and chapels of rest at the 2005 and 2010 revaluations.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 4 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today to PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703 which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 rating lists and the draft 2010 rating lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The special category code for crematoria is 80, funeral parlours and chapels of rest 111 and cemeteries 053.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value for the premises at the standard valuation date. Because of the differing nature of the numerous classes of property, valuation officers have to use various valuation methods to arrive at rental value. The methodologies used for valuation were the same for both the 2005 rating lists and the 2010 draft lists and these were:
	(A) Crematoria: a value per annual cremation number, adjusted for the age of the crematorium. The value is derived from analysed receipts and expenditure.
	(B) Funeral parlours and chapels of rest: a rentals comparison approach.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individual hereditament  (a) betting shops and offices,  (b) bingo halls,  (c) public houses, licensed restaurants and wine bars,  (d) night clubs and discotheques and  (e) casinos and gambling clubs were on the Valuation Office Agency's 2005 Rating List in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the average rateable value of each type of hereditament is under each special category code in  (a) the 2005 Rating List and  (b) the draft 2010 Rating List;
	(2)  what the average rateable value of petrol stations  (a) was on the 2005 Rating List and  (b) is on the draft 2010 Rating List.

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hereditaments with each individual Special Category Code  (a) were on the 2005 and  (b) are on the draft 2010 Rating List.

Barbara Follett: I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists at 29 May 2009. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: 'The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England', published on 8 July 2009. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/nndrrevaluation2010
	The number of hereditaments in each special category code has been rounded to the nearest 10 and the figures for total and average rateable value have been rounded to the nearest thousand pounds.
	Please note that:
	a) betting shops and offices have special category code 24;
	b) bingo halls have special category code 25;
	c) i) public houses/pub restaurants have special category codes 226 and 227; ii) restaurants have special category code 234; iii) wine bars have special category code 303;
	d) night clubs and discotheques have special code 199;
	e) casinos and gambling clubs have special category code 49;
	f) petrol stations have special category code 209.

Non-Domestic Rates: Fairgrounds

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) theme parks and  (b) other amusement parks (i) there were on the 2005 Rating List and (ii) there are on the draft 2010 Rating List; what method the Valuation Office Agency used to rate each of the premises for each list; and what the (A) postal address and (B) rateable value is of each of the parks included on each list.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today (PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703), which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29 May 2009. The Special Category Code for theme parks is 280 and for amusement parks 012.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value of the premises at the standard valuation date. For both the 2005 Rating Lists and the 2010 Draft Lists the rateable values of amusement and theme parks have been assessed in line with the guidance contained in the Rating Manual-Volume 5, Section 70 on Amusement Parks and Theme Parks which is available on the VOA website, under Publications, at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The addresses and rateable values of theme and amusement parks currently listed in the 2005 Rating Lists and 2010 Draft Lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the Valuation Office Agency's website at
	www.voa.gov.uk

Non-Domestic Rates: Parking

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals against a Valuation Office Agency decision to place rateable values on parking spaces in  (a) East Devon constituency,  (b) Devon and  (c) England have been successful in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The number of proposals against decisions to place rateable values on car parking spaces that were accepted by valuation officers or resulted in a change in assessment in  (a) East Devon constituency,  (b) Devon and  (c) England during each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  Billing authority-East Devon 
			   Settlement  Total 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 Agreed or Wellfounded 1 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 April 2009 to October 2009 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 Total Agreed or Wellfounded 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Devon 
			   Settlement  Total 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 Agreed or Wellfounded 2 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 Agreed or Wellfounded 1 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 Agreed or Wellfounded 0 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 Agreed or Wellfounded 1 
			 April 2009 to October 2009 Agreed or Wellfounded 1 
			 Total Agreed or Wellfounded 5 
		
	
	
		
			  England 
			   Settlement  Total 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 Agreed; or Wellfounded 472 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 Agreed or Wellfounded 399 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 Agreed or Wellfounded 457 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 Agreed or Wellfounded 356 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 Agreed or Wellfounded 363 
			 April 2009 to October 2009 Agreed or Wellfounded 241 
			 Total Agreed or Wellfounded 2,288 
		
	
	There have been no significant changes since May 1997 in the Valuation Office Agency's methodology and guidance for valuing car spaces, which is set out in Rating Manual Volume 5 Section 200 for Car Parks and in the individual practice note issued for each five yearly revaluation. The methodology has remained one of Rental Comparison by parking space. Current and earlier practice notes can be compared on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk

Non-Domestic Rates: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 50 individual hereditaments in the local authority area of Peterborough had the greatest percentage increase in rateable value from the 2005 Rating List to the draft 2010 Rating List; and what the  (a) address and  (b) rateable value in each list was of each.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The following table shows the rateable value on the 2005 Rating List and the draft 2010 Rating List for the 50 individual hereditaments in the local authority area of Peterborough that had the biggest percentage increase between the two lists, as at 29 May 2009. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England, published on 8 July 2009. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/nndrrevaluation2010
	No address information other than postcode is held in the dataset used for the analysis. The address, 2005 list rateable value and 2010 draft list rateable value from the live database for each hereditament in the central and local rating lists are published on the Valuation Office Agency's website. This information is updated weekly:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/
	The figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Rank  Rateable value on the 2005 ratings list  Rateable value on the draft 2010 ratings list 
			 1 3,000 15,000 
			 2 2,000 9,000 
			 3 7,000 29,000 
			 4 13,000 50,000 
			 5 13,000 50,000 
			 6 2,000 7,000 
			 7 21,000 70,000 
			 8 2,000 5,000 
			 9 1,000 2,000 
			 10 19,000 61,000 
			 11 8,000 25,000 
			 12 5,000 14,000 
			 13 11,000 32,000 
			 14 2,000 5,000 
			 15 2,000 7,000 
			 16 6,000 18,000 
			 17 3,000 8,000 
			 18 (1)500 1,000 
			 19 5,000 13,000 
			 20 3,000 9,000 
			 21 10,000 25,000 
			 22 9,000 23,000 
			 23 5,000 12,000 
			 24 33,000 85,000 
			 25 6,000 15,000 
			 26 9,000 22,000 
			 27 2,000 5,000 
			 28 15,000 38,000 
			 29 22,000 55,000 
			 30 12,000 30,000 
			 31 1,000 1,000 
			 32 (1)500 (1)500 
			 33 7,000 18,000 
			 34 74,000 182,000 
			 35 16,000 38,000 
			 36 4,000 10,000 
			 37 7,000 17,000 
			 38 13,000 30,000 
			 39 3,000 8,000 
			 40 1,000 3,000 
			 41 2,000 4,000 
			 42 1,000 2,000 
			 43 2,000 5,000 
			 44 11,000 26,000 
			 45 5,000 11,000 
			 46 8,000 18,000 
			 47 4,000 8,000 
			 48 24,000 54,000 
			 49 16,000 36,000 
			 50 4,000 10,000 
			 (1) Less than £500. 
		
	
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Ratepayers occupying over a million properties-60 per cent. of total properties-will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available as part of Real Help Now to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average rateable value was for an  (a) average hereditament,  (b) hereditament classed as a small business and  (c) hereditament paying the standard rating multiplier in the local authority area of Peterborough according to the (i) 2005 Rating List and (ii) draft 2010 Rating List.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) today (PQ 297432).

Non-Domestic Rates: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated  (a) average rateable value on the (i) 2005 and (ii) draft 2010 Rating List and  (b) percentage change in rateable values between the two lists was for hereditaments in each special category code in the local authority area of Peterborough or nearest comparative local unit of administration.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) earlier today, (PQ 297432) on the rateable value on the 2005 and draft 2010 Rating List.
	I have placed a table of estimates of the percentage change in rateable values by special category code, for the local authority area of Peterborough between the 2005 rating list and the 2010 draft rating list, as at 29 May 2009, in the Library of the House of Commons. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic-rating revaluation 2010 in England, published on 8 July 2009. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/nndrrevaluation2010
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Ratepayers occupying over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of a two year business rate holiday for port businesses in  (a) Humber,  (b) Liverpool and  (c) other ports which have recently become liable for business rates.

Barbara Follett: No estimates of the cost of a two year holiday for ongoing business rates for port businesses have been made. The information is not readily available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The review of ports by the Valuation Office Agency is to ensure that all individual business properties within and outside ports are rated fairly to ensure that the burden of contributions to funding local government is shared fairly among businesses around the country.
	The Government have listened to the concerns of businesses with significant and unexpected backdated bills, including some businesses within ports. It has legislated to enable such bills to be repaid over an unprecedented eight years rather than in a single instalment, helping affected businesses to manage the impact on their cash flows during the downturn by reducing the amount they are required to pay now by 87.5 per cent.
	As at 8 October 2009, local authorities have reported that ratepayers occupying 221 properties within ports had fully discharged their backdated liability and ratepayers occupying a further 200 business properties within ports had been granted a schedule of payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the reduction in business rate assessments on newly-rated businesses on Hull docks consequent on the Valuation Office Agency's decision to transfer the charges to Associated British Ports; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures should such a decision be taken in relation to the port businesses in  (a) Grimsby,  (b) Immingham and  (c) Goole.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	For the port of Hull, some areas have been merged with the assessment for the statutory port on the basis of new information and agreement of the facts between the parties. This reflects the success of the fast-track appeals process applied by the Valuation Office Agency to cases involving a backdated liability. Where ratepayers co-operate and provide the information requested, the Agency has been able to review the rating lists and make amendments to reflect new information that has a material affect on the assessment. In the port of Hull this has resulted in a reduction of £1.1 million in the total rateable value of occupations separately assessed for the first time from 1 April 2005.
	Where changes have not been made this is either because the facts do not support correction of the rating lists or the parties have not agreed the facts that may still prove material. It is not possible to provide an estimate of whether there will be similar changes in the ports of Grimsby, Immingham and Goole.

Non-Domestic Rates: Sports

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many grounds used for county cricket  (a) there were on the 2005 Rating List and (b) there are on the draft 2010 Rating List; what method the Valuation Office Agency used to rate the grounds for each list; and what the (i) postal address and (ii) rateable value is of each ground included on each list.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today to PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703 which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 rating lists and the draft 2010 rating lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The special category code for county cricket grounds is 082.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value for the premises at the standard valuation date. For both the 2005 rating lists and the 2010 draft lists the rateable values for county cricket grounds have been assessed by reference to a percentage of fair maintainable trade. The approach has been discussed with, and accepted by, the English and Wales Cricket Board for 2010 and previous rating lists. The addresses and rateable values of county cricket grounds currently listed in the rating lists and draft lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	County cricket grounds have benefited from the popularity of the 20:20 game and this has generated significant trading income gains, particularly in the more prominent locations where existing or improved ground facilities have enabled this to be maximised.
	All the major grounds will as a consequence see increased rateable values. Yet again the secondary and amateur facilities show a totally different picture with approaching two-thirds benefiting from reduced bills-that is, if available, reliefs do not remove their liability to rates entirely. Across the country, over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	There will be a £2 billion relief scheme in order to phase in significant increases in rates bills. For those grounds experiencing substantial increases in rateable values this will limit the increase in their rate bill to 12.5 per cent. in real terms for next year.

Non-Domestic Rates: Sports

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many grounds used for  (a) rugby league and  (b) rugby union (i) there were on the 2005 Rating List and (ii) there are on the draft 2010 Rating List; what method the Valuation Office Agency used to rate the grounds for each list; and what the (A) postal address and (B) rateable value is of each ground included on each list.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 4 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today (PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703) which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29th May 2009. These data provide the most up to date published aggregate data for the number of hereditaments.
	The Special Category Code for Rugby League Grounds is 241 and for Rugby Union Grounds is 242.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value for the premises at the standard valuation date. Because of the differing nature of the numerous classes of property valuation officers have to use various valuation methods to arrive at rental value. For both the 2005 Rating Lists and the 2010 Draft Lists smaller rugby grounds have been valued using a rentals approach based on available rental information while larger stadiums have been valued by reference to the contractor's basis with adjustments for ability to pay.
	The addresses and rateable values of rugby union and rugby league grounds currently listed in the Rating Lists and Draft Lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	The top rugby grounds have experienced significantly increased trading incomes over the five-year revaluation cycle and associated with this has been significant investment in their grounds. At the lower and amateur end of the sport around 70 per cent. of occupiers will see reduced rates bills. Across the country, over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	There will be a £2 billion relief scheme in order to phase in significant increases in rates bills. For those grounds experiencing substantial increases in rateable values this will limit the increase in their rate bill to 12.5 per cent. in real terms for next year.

Non-Domestic Rates: Sports

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many football stadia  (a) there were on the 2005 Rating List and  (b) there are on the draft 2010 Rating List; what method the Valuation Office Agency used to rate the stadia for each list; and what the (i) postal address and (ii) rateable value is of each ground included on each list.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 4 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Meriden, (Mrs. Spelman) Peterborough and Bromley (Mr. Jackson) and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today, (PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703) which state that a table showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The Special Category Code for Football Stadia is 109
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value for the premises at the standard valuation date. Because of the differing nature of the numerous classes of property, valuation officers have to use various valuation methods to arrive at rental value. For both the 2005 rating lists and the 2010 draft lists football stadia have been valued by reference to the contractor's basis with adjustments for ability to pay.
	The addresses and rateable values of football stadia currently listed in the rating lists and draft lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Premiership clubs, in particular, have experienced massively increased trading incomes over the five-year revaluation cycle and associated with this has been significant investment in their grounds. It is not surprising then that these clubs will typically see rateable values increase. As regards league football clubs about one-third are likely to see rates bills fall. Across the country, over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation.
	There will be a £2 billion relief scheme in order to phase in significant increases in rates bills. For those clubs experiencing substantial increases in rateable values this will limit the increase in their rate bill to 12.5 per cent. in real terms for next year.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the textual description is of each SCAT code used by the Valuation Office Agency.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) on 10 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 283-84W. A table showing the numbers of hereditaments for England broken down by full alphanumeric special category code on both the 2005 Rating List and the draft 2010 Rating List at 29 May 2009 has been placed in the Library of the House. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: The Transitional Arrangements for the Non-domestic Rating Revaluation 2010 in England, published on 8 July 2009. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pubIications/local government/nndrrevaluation2010
	This table provides the textual description of each scat code used by the Valuation Office Agency. The number of hereditaments in each special category code has been rounded to the nearest 10.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the policy of the Durham Valuation Office is on whether Durham road user charge and a material change for the purposes of  (a) calculating rateable value of business premises within and near the charging zone and  (b) domestic valuations of dwellings for council tax within and near the charging zone.

Rosie Winterton: The advice contained in the Valuation Office Agency's Rating Manual, Volume 2, Section 5-PN1, is that the introduction of the London Congestion Charge was a material change for the purposes of assessing rateable values. The valuation officer for Durham considers the Durham Congestion Charge to have been, similarly, a material change.
	The regulations for material change are different for council tax. A proposal would be considered valid only if the introduction of the charging zone was associated with particular changes to the physical state of a dwelling's locality.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 345W, on non-domestic rates, how many assessment deletions were made in each region in each year on the grounds that the property  (a) had been demolished,  (b) was incapable of beneficial occupation,  (c) was being used for residential purposes,  (d) was exempt from rating,  (e) had been split into two or more separate rateable premises and  (f) had been combined with another property into a new, merged rateable premises; and how many assessment deletions were made for any other reason.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 3 November 2009
	I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the number of assessments deleted from the Rating Lists during the period 1 April 2004 to 31 July 2009-this period being consistent with the earlier answer of 12 October 2009.
	The table reflects assessments deleted for the following reasons:
	Demolished
	Exempt
	Ceased to be rateable
	Reconstituted
	Other.
	To separately identify assessments deleted specifically because the property is now used for residential purposes or incapable of beneficial occupation could be ascertained only at disproportionate cost.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) takeaway food outlets (predominantly off premises),  (b) restaurants and  (c) cafes there were on the (i) 2005 and (ii) draft 2010 rating list; what the total rateable value was of the properties in each category at each revaluation; what methodology the Valuation Office Agency used to rate the properties in each category at the (A) 2005 and (B) 2010 revaluation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that methodology.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today to PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703 which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 rating lists and the draft 2010 rating lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The special category code for takeaway food outlet (predominantly off premises) is 442, restaurants 234 and cafes 409.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value for the premises at the standard valuation date. The methodology used for takeaway food outlets (predominantly off premises), restaurants and cafes were the same for both the 2005 and the draft 2010 rating lists and is based on the comparative rental method.
	The five-yearly business rate revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria the Valuation Office Agency uses to determine whether facilities which are appurtenant exclusively to individual dwellings but which are separate hereditaments should be liable for non-domestic rates.

Barbara Follett: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hereditaments were on the Valuation Office Agency's Rating List with SCAT code 030 in each year since 1997; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the Agency's methodology and guidance for valuing bowling greens.

Barbara Follett: The number of hereditaments within the Rating Lists for England having a SCAT Code 030 (Bowling Greens) is detailed in the table. The Valuation Office Agency's advice on the valuation of bowling greens is contained in Rating Manual Volume 5 Section 970: Sports Grounds: Practice Note 1: Bowling Greens, available on its website:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	A copy of this will be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons.
	The number of properties has been rounded to the nearest 10.
	
		
			  England 
			  1( ) April  Number 
			 2000 1,690 
			 2001 1,710 
			 2002 1,740 
			 2003 1,760 
			 2004 1,720 
			 2005 1,660 
			 2006 1,670 
			 2007 1,700 
			 2008 1,700 
			 2009 1,740 
		
	
	SCAT Code 030 came into effect on 1 April 2000 and therefore the information for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 is not available.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library an electronic copy of the Valuation Office Agency's dataset of the  (a) address,  (b) local authority area,  (c) 2005 Rating List rateable value and  (d) draft 2010 Rating List rateable value for each hereditament on the central and local rating lists.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 2 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her today (PQ 297432).
	The address, 2005 list rateable value and 2010 draft list rateable value from the live database for each hereditament in the central and local rating lists are published on the Valuation Office Agency's website. This information is updated weekly.
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/
	The cost of producing a separate electronic copy, duplicating this information, would be disproportionate.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average rateable value is for  (a) all hereditaments,  (b) (i) small and (ii) other businesses in (i) England and (ii) each local authority in England according to the (A) 2005 Rating List and (B) draft 2010 Rating List.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 2 November 2009
	I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the average rateable values for all properties, small properties and large properties for England and broken down by local authority on both the 2005 Ratings List and the draft 2010 Ratings List at 29 May 2009. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: 'The transitioned arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England', published on 8 July 2009. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/nndrrevaluation2010
	In the 2005 Ratings List, a small property is defined as having a rateable value less than £15,000, or £21,500 in London. In the draft 2010 Ratings List, a small property is defined as having a rateable value less than £18,000, or £25,500 in London. This is the definition proposed in the above mentioned 2010 Transitional Relief consultation document.
	The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand pounds.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will revise his Department's impact assessment for supplementary business rates to take account of the 2010 rates revaluation.

Rosie Winterton: It is not our intention to revise the Business Rate Supplement (BRS) Bill Impact Assessment. Five-yearly revaluations of business rates will not affect the general principles of liability for a business rate supplement.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) lifeboat stations and  (b) coastguard stations there were on the (i) 2005 and (ii) draft 2010 rating list; what the total rateable value was of stations in each such category at each revaluation; what methodology the Valuation Office Agency used to rate those stations at the (A) 2005 and (B) 2010 revaluation; if he will place in the Library a copy of that methodology; and what the (1) address and (2) individual rateable value on the (x) 2005 and (y) draft 2010 rating list was of each station.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today to PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703, which state that a table showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code has been placed in the Library of the House on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The Special Category Code for Lifeboat Stations is 420 and for Coastguard Stations is 411.
	For the 2005 Rating Lists the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) made no recommendation to Valuation Officers as to the methodology to be used to assess either lifeboat stations or coastguard stations. For the 2010 draft Rating Lists, the Valuation Office Agency has recommended that the contractor's basis should be used for the valuation of lifeboat stations. This guidance is contained in the Rating Manual-Volume 5-Section 560 available on the VOA website, under Publications, at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The VOA has not yet provided recommendation to Valuation Officers in respect of coastguard stations. Advice, currently in advanced state of preparation, will agree with the manner in which Valuation Officers have approached coastguard stations in both 2005 and the draft 2010 Lists; this has been valuation by comparison with rented offices and garage/storage premises in the locality.
	The addresses and rateable values of lifeboat and coastguard stations currently listed in the 2005 Rating Lists and 2010 Draft Lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the VOA's website:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.
	Charities, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, receive an automatic 80 per cent. relief from business rates on any property they occupy for charitable purposes. Furthermore, local authorities may increase this relief to 100 per cent. and, where they have done so, the charity will be paying no business rates at all.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) wine bars,  (b) vineyards/wineries,  (c) public houses/pub restaurants (national scheme) and  (d) breweries (national scheme) there were on the (i) 2005 and (ii) draft 2010 rating list; what the total rateable value was of properties on each category on each list; what methodology the Valuation Office Agency used to rate each property in each category; if he will place in the Library a copy of that methodology; and what the (A) address and (B) rateable value on the (1) 2005 and (2) draft 2010 rating list was of each (x) vineyard/winery and (y) brewery (national scheme).

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson), and the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today (PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703) which state that a table showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code has been placed in the Library of the House on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The Special Category Code for Wine Bars is 303, Vineyards/Wineries 294 and public houses/pub restaurants (national scheme) 226-227 and breweries (national scheme) 031.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value of the premises at the standard valuation date. For both the 2005 Rating Lists and the 2010 Draft Lists the rateable values for wine bars, public houses and breweries have been assessed in line with guidance contained in the Rating Manual-Volume 5-Sections 825 and 140 available on the VOA website, under Publications, at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	Vineyards are predominantly agricultural but any processing buildings or retail outlets will be valued on a comparative rental basis.
	The addresses and rateable values of wine bars, vineyards/wineries, public houses/pub restaurants and breweries currently listed in the Rating Lists and Draft Lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) pet grooming parlours,  (b) kennels and catteries and  (c) animal boarding establishments there were on the (i) 2005 and (ii) draft 2010 rating list; what the total rateable value was of the properties in each category at each revaluation; what methodology the Valuation Office Agency used to rate properties in each category at the (A) 2005 and (B) 2010 revaluation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that methodology.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 9 November 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) today , (PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703) which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29 May 2009. These data provide the most up to date published aggregate data for the number of hereditaments and rateable values.
	The Special Category Code for Pet Grooming Parlours is 424, Kennels and Catteries 143 and Animal Boarding Establishments 013.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value of the premises at the standard valuation date. For both the 2005 Rating Lists and the 2010 Draft Lists the rateable values for kennels and catteries and animal boarding establishments have been assessed in line with guidance contained in the Rating Manual-Volume 5-Section 215 available on the VOA website, under Publications, at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Zoos and Wildlife Parks

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many zoos and safari parks  (a) there were on the 2005 Rating List and  (b) there are on the draft 2010 Rating List; what method the Valuation Office Agency used to rate each of the premises for each list; and what the (i) postal address and (ii) rateable value is of each zoo or safari park included on each list.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) and Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) earlier today, (PQs 294135, 294887, 294903, 294527 and 295703), which state that a table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the number of hereditaments and the total and average rateable values for hereditaments in each special category code on both the 2005 Rating Lists and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 29 May 2009.
	The Special Category Code for Zoos and Safari Parks is 304.
	The aim of a rating valuation is to arrive at the rental value of the premises at the standard valuation date. For both the 2005 Rating Lists and the 2010 Draft Lists the rateable values for zoos and safari parks have been assessed in line with guidance contained in the Rating Manual-Volume 5-Section 1130 available on the VOA website at, under Publications, at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The addresses and rateable values of zoos and safari parks currently listed in the Rating Lists and Draft Lists can be viewed on the live rating lists published on the Valuation Office Agency's website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. Since the 2005 revaluation, there has been a growth in public interest in wildlife and, in particular, in observing wild animals. Zoos and safari parks have seen visitor numbers grow and this in turn has increased the value of their property. It is only fair that this is reflected in new rateable values.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact of revaluation on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Parking: Valuation

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria the Valuation Office Agency uses to determine the rateable value of reserved parking spaces.

Barbara Follett: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Parliament Square: Planning Permission

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to Lord Avebury of 20 July 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column 283WA, on Houses of Parliament: demonstrations, whether his Department has issued guidance on the circumstances in which a permanent encampment outside Parliament would require planning permission; and which body is the local planning authority for Parliament Square.

Ian Austin: Communities and Local Government has not been asked to provide any guidance from Westminster city council, the local planning authority for Parliament Square. Management of Parliament Square Gardens is the responsibility of the Greater London Authority.

Planning Permission

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons his Department is proposing to end the regulatory requirement that planning notices be published in newspapers.

John Healey: No decision has been taken on this issue. The Killian Pretty Review recommended giving greater flexibility to local planning authorities to determine the best methods of notifying the public about planning applications. In July we published a consultation paper seeking views on whether we should make some changes to the publicity arrangements for applications.
	The consultation period ended on 23 October and I am currently considering the responses to this consultation exercise.

Planning Permission: Advertising

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness in notifying the public of planning applications of the placing of notices in  (a) local newspapers and  (b) in other publications; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: In response to a recommendation made by the Killian Pretty Review, we issued a consultation paper in July 2009, 'Publicity for Planning Applications', which sought views on whether changes should be made in relation publicising planning applications, including the option of removing the statutory requirements to publicise certain applications in newspapers. This consultation paper included an initial assessment on the impact of this option in Annex 1. I am currently considering responses to this consultation exercise.

Population: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the projected population of each Lancashire constituency in the next five years.

Rosie Winterton: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Ports: Planning Permission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of monitoring planning applications for marina developments.

Ian Austin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Regeneration: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department has made available for regeneration schemes at  (a) Grahame Park,  (b) West Hendon and  (c) Spur Road and Stonegrove in Hendon constituency; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The funding from the public purse is broken down as follows:
	 Grahame Park
	The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has committed £13 million, with a start on site of 27 February 2007 and expected completion of March 2011. £7 million growth funding was also allocated in 2006 to 2008, for the replacement of the rail bridges at Aerodrome road.
	 West Hendon
	The HCA has committed £15.7 million, broken down into Phase 1 of £1.21 million (start on site expected September 2010); Phase 2 of £4.9 million (start on site expected September 2010); Phase 3 of £9.6 million; £4 million of growth funding has been allocated as well.
	 Spur Road and Stonegrove
	The HCA has agreed this week to a Kickstart allocation of £10 million, which will bring total public monies committed to £18 million (that includes a pre-Kickstart allocation of £8 million).

Regeneration: Liverpool

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on Arena Housing and its operations in the Anfield area of Liverpool;
	(2)  what recent representations he has had on Liverpool city council's regeneration strategy for the Anfield area of Liverpool;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with local community groups on the regeneration of Anfield; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) central Government departments,  (b) public corporations, (c) local authorities,  (d) executive agencies,  (e) non-departmental public bodies,  (f) partnership bodies,  (g) regional quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations and  (h) other public sector bodies are involved in the Thames Gateway development.

Shahid Malik: Full details of the governance and delivery structures for the Thames Gateway are set out at Annex B of the Thames Gateway Annual Report 2008-09, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Rented Housing

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average  (a) council and  (b) private sector rent was in (i) Birmingham, (ii) the West Midlands, (iii) inner London, (iv) outer London and (v) England excluding London in (A) 1980, (B) 1990, (C) 2000 and (D) each of the last five years.

John Healey: The following table provides average weekly rent figures for council dwellings. Reliable estimates for earlier years are not available.
	
		
			  Average weekly council rent rates( 1, 2) 
			  £ 
			   Birmingham  West Midlands  Inner London  Outer London  England excluding London 
			 2000-01 41.91 41.31 - - - 
			 2004-05 49.84 49.28 66.62 66.52 49.11 
			 2005-06 52.23 51.59 70.12 68.74 51.23 
			 2006-07 54.63 54.11 73.63 71.46 53.54 
			 2007-08 57.42 57.32 77.17 76.24 56.93 
			 2008-09(3) 59.38 59.95 80.58 78.56 59.37 
			 '-' Indicates data are not available (1 )Average rent data for 2003-04 and onwards are based on a standardised 52 week collection. Data prior to 2003-04 may have been reported on various different collection. (2) Average rent data are based upon data reported by stock-owning local authorities that have provided information. (3) Average rent data for 2008-09 are provisional and will be updated when stock data at the start of the following financial year become available.  Source: Average rent rates from Housing Revenue Account (HRA) second subsidy claim form. Total stock data from Housing Revenue Account (HRA) audited base claim form (2004-05 to 2007-08) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) second subsidy claim form (2000-01, 2008-09). 
		
	
	Average free market monthly rents (mean) for private tenants by region in England are published on the Communities and Local Government website in table 734. Estimates for the West Midlands, London and England are available in this table for all years from 1995-96 and 1996-97 to 2006-07 and 2007-08. These rent estimates are based on data from the Survey of English Housing and a two-year rolling average is used as sampling variability is too great to provide a reliable indication of change between years at regional level. Reliable estimates below the regional level or for earlier years are not available.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141656.xls

Scout Solutions Projects

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been recovered from Scout Solutions Projects Limited in relation to the project to create mobility services for social tenants since 2006; what percentage of his Department's overall costs the project represented; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the written parliamentary question of 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1996W.

Scout Solutions Projects

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mobility services for social tenants funded by his Department and its predecessors have been provided by Scout Solutions Projects Limited in each year since 2004.

Ian Austin: From May 2004 until January 2007 Scout Solutions Projects Limited provided the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme, HOMES Mobility Scheme, the LAWN Mobility Scheme and the Homeswap service for social tenants funded by the Department.

Sleeping Rough

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 768-70W, on homelessness, which local authorities have not  (a) conducted a street count and  (b) provided an estimate of rough sleepers in their area in 2009.

Ian Austin: holding answer 9 November 2009
	It is not necessary for all local authorities to carry out a rough sleeper counts. Counts are conducted in accordance with CLG guidance which recommend that if an authority does not have more than 10 rough sleepers then it does not need to count, although many authorities do so.
	We want to be sure that people who might find themselves sleeping rough in those areas can get the help they need. The intention is to prevent and tackle rough sleeping wherever it occurs.
	We no longer ask local authorities that do not count to provide an annual estimate. Therefore the 2009 annual figure is not a national estimate of all the people sleeping in rough in the country but is the total number of rough sleepers found on street counts and shows a continuing reduction of 75 per cent. on the 1998 baseline.
	The following local authorities did not conduct a street count in 2008-09:
	Adur
	Allerdale
	Alnwick
	Amber Valley
	Arun
	Ashfield
	Ashford
	Aylesbury Vale
	Babergh
	Barking and Dagenham
	Barnet
	Barnsley
	Barrow-in-Furness
	Basildon
	Basingstoke and Deane
	Bassetlaw
	Berwick-upon-Tweed
	Bexley
	Blaby
	Blackburn with Darwen
	Blackpool
	Blyth Valley
	Bolsover
	Bolton
	Boston
	Bracknell Forest
	Braintree
	Breckland
	Brentwood
	Bridgnorth
	Bristol
	Broadland
	Bromsgrove
	Broxbourne
	Broxtowe
	Burnley
	Bury
	Cannock Chase
	Canterbury
	Carlisle
	Castle Morpeth
	Castle Point
	Charnwood
	Chelmsford
	Cheltenham
	Cherwell
	Chesterfield
	Chester-le-Street
	Chichester
	Chiltern
	Chorley
	Christchurch
	Colchester
	Copeland
	Corby
	Cotswold
	Craven
	Crawley
	Croydon
	Dacorum
	Darlington
	Dartford
	Daventry
	Derbyshire Dales
	Derwentside
	Doncaster
	Dover
	Dudley
	Durham
	Ealing
	Easington
	East Cambridgeshire
	East Devon
	East Dorset
	East Hampshire
	East Hertfordshire
	East Lindsey
	East Northamptonshire
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	East Staffordshire
	Eastbourne
	Eastleigh
	Eden
	Elmbridge
	Enfield
	Epping Forest
	Epsom and Ewell
	Erewash
	Fareham
	Forest Heath
	Forest of Dean
	Fylde
	Gedling
	Gloucester
	Gosport
	Gravesham
	Great Yarmouth
	Greenwich
	Guildford
	Hambleton
	Harborough
	Harlow
	Harrogate
	Harrow
	Hart
	Hartlepool
	Hastings
	Havant
	Havering
	High Peak
	Hinckley and Bosworth
	Horsham
	Hounslow
	Huntingdonshire
	Hyndburn
	Ipswich
	Isles of Scilly
	Islington
	Kennet
	Kettering
	Kings Lynn and West Norfolk
	Kingston upon Thames
	Knowsley
	Leicester
	Lewes
	Lichfield
	Lincoln
	Luton
	Maidstone
	Maldon
	Malvern Hills
	Mansfield
	Melton
	Mendip
	Merton
	Mid Bedfordshire
	Mid Devon
	Mid Suffolk
	Mid Sussex
	Middlesbrough
	Mole Valley
	New Forest
	Newark and Sherwood
	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	North Dorset
	North East Derbyshire
	North East Lincolnshire
	North Hertfordshire
	North Kesteven
	North Norfolk
	North Shropshire
	North Tyneside
	North Warwickshire
	North West Leicestershire
	North Wiltshire
	Nottingham city
	Nuneaton and Bedworth
	Oadby and Wigston
	Oldham
	Oswestry
	Pendle
	Poole
	Preston
	Purbeck
	Redcar and Cleveland
	Redditch
	Reigate and Banstead
	Ribble Valley
	Richmond upon Thames
	Richmondshire
	Rochdale
	Rochford
	Rossendale
	Rother
	Rugby
	Runnymede
	Rushcliffe
	Rushmoor
	Rutland
	Ryedale
	Salford
	Sandwell
	Scarborough
	Sedgefield
	Sedgemoor
	Sefton
	Selby
	Sevenoaks
	Shepway
	Shrewsbury and Atcham
	Slough
	Solihull
	South Bedfordshire
	South Bucks
	South Cambridgeshire
	South Derbyshire
	South Gloucestershire
	South Hams
	South Holland
	South Kesteven
	South Lakeland
	South Norfolk
	South Northamptonshire
	South Oxfordshire
	South Ribble
	South Shropshire
	South Somerset
	South Staffordshire
	South Tyneside
	Southampton
	Southend-on-Sea
	Spelthorne
	St. Albans
	St. Edmundsbury
	St. Helens
	Stafford
	Stevenage
	Stockport
	Stockton-on-Tees
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Stratford-on-Avon
	Stroud
	Suffolk Coastal
	Surrey Heath
	Sutton
	Swale
	Swindon
	Tameside
	Tamworth
	Tandridge
	Taunton Deane
	Teesdale
	Telford and Wrekin
	Tendring
	Test Valley
	Tewkesbury
	Thanet
	The Medway council
	Three Rivers
	Thurrock
	Tonbridge and Mailing
	Torbay
	Torridge
	Trafford
	Tunbridge Wells
	Tynedale
	Uttlesford
	Vale of White Horse
	Walsall
	Wandsworth
	Wansbeck
	Warwick
	Waveney
	Waverley
	Wealden
	Wear Valley
	Wellingborough
	Welwyn Hatfield
	West Berkshire
	West Devon
	West Dorset
	West Lancashire
	West Lindsey
	West Oxfordshire
	West Somerset
	West Wiltshire
	Weymouth and Portland
	Wigan
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Wirral
	Woking
	Wokingham
	Wolverhampton
	Worcester
	Wychavon
	Wycombe
	Wyre
	Wyre Forest.

Social Rented Housing

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) local authority-owned homes and  (b) homes owned by other social landlords there were in (i) Birmingham, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England in (A) 1980, (B) 1990, (C) 1995, (D) 2000, (E) 2005 and (F) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: Information on the number of council-owned dwellings as at 1 April each year is supplied by local authorities on the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns and is published annually from 1994 to 2008 on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 116:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/140882.xls
	Reliable estimates of the number of council-owned dwellings for local authorities and regions as at 1 April 1980 and 1990 are not available.
	Information on the number of registered social landlord (RSL) owned dwellings as at 31 March each year is collected by the Tenants Services Authority and is published annually from 1997 to 2008 on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 115:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/140879.xls
	No figures are available for 1980.
	The following table shows the number of council-owned and registered social landlord/housing association owned dwellings.
	
		
			  Number of dwellings owned( 1) 
			   Birmingham  West Midlands( 3)  England( 3) 
			  Council-owned( 2)  (as at 1 April)
			 1980(3) (7)- (7)- 4,764,000 
			 1990(3) (7)- (7)- 3,991,000 
			 1995 99,600 440,000 3,564,600 
			 2000 88,600 354,200 3,012,000 
			 2005 70,300 232,000 2,165,500 
			 2008 65,900 213,200 1,870,400 
			 
			  RSL/HA owned (as at 31 March)
			 1980
			 1990(4) 24,200 54,100 568,300 
			 1995 33,100 102,100 997,800 
			 2000(5) 33,100 149,500 1,272,700 
			 2005(5,6) 38,600 226,500 1,880,600 
			 2008(5,6) 37,300 229,400 2,062,100 
			 (1) Council-owned dwellings figures for 1980 and 1990 have been rounded to the nearest thousand. All other figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. (2) Local authorities count the number of dwellings they own that are situated within their administrative boundary. (3) Figures for the west midlands and England totals include estimated values for missing data. (4) Figures for 1990 include bedspaces and shared ownership units. (5) The number of dwellings for 2000, 2005 and 2008 includes general needs social housing rental stock, supported housing stock and housing stock for older people. (6) Figures for 2005 and 2008 also include bedspaces. From 2005 some general needs stock was reclassified as supported stock. This may have resulted in some of the housing stock for older people being counted as bed spaces rather than dwellings which may have increased the dwelling count. (7) Data are not available.  Sources: For council-owned stock: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (2000, 2005, 2008), Housing Investment Programme (1980, 1990, 1995). For RSL/HA owned stock: Regulatory and Statistical Return (2000, 2005, 2008), Housing Association Annual Return (Statistics) (1990, 1995)

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 4 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1060W, on council housing, how many social homes have been  (a) built,  (b) acquired,  (c) sold and  (d) demolished in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Figures showing the number of homes built and acquired for social rent are included in Live Table 1009 on the CLG website for each year from 1991-92. The figures include both local authority and registered social landlord completions:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/tablel009.xls
	29,370 homes were provided for social rent in 2007-08. This is the third consecutive year these figures have increased.
	Figures showing the number of social homes sold to sitting tenants are included in Live Table 678 on the CLG website for each year since 1991-92. The figures include both local authority and registered social landlord completions:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table678.xls
	These figures on number of sales of social homes cover only sales to sitting tenants. Shared ownership sales can also take place under low cost home ownership schemes, but these include sales of private homes on the open market.
	The following table shows the number of local authority and registered social landlord homes demolished from 2001-02. Figures are not available for earlier years:
	
		
			   LA demolitions  RSL demolitions  All social housing demolitions 
			 2001-02 14,500 4,720 19,230 
			 2002-03 11,050 3,600 14,650 
			 2003-04 8,490 6,000 14,540 
			 2004-05 8,450 5,060 13,510 
			 2005-06 6,250 4,570 10,820 
			 2006-07 4,650 3,990 8,640 
			 2007-08 5,100 6,090 11,200 
			 2008-09 n/a 4,480 n/a 
		
	
	Figures on the number of social homes built and acquired are from the Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG.
	Figures on the number of social housing sales sold to sitting tenants are from Regulatory and Statistical Returns (RSR) from registered social landlords (RSLs) to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), and quarterly PIB returns from local authorities to CLG.
	Figures on local authority demolitions are from Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) returns to CLG from local authorities.
	RSL demolitions are from RSR returns to the TSA. Up to 2004-05, these returns cover all RSLs, in 2005-06 they only include returns from RSLs with at least 250 units, and from 2006-07 they only include returns from RSLs with at least 1,000 units.
	All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 units.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) local authority and  (b) registered social landlord tenants completed home exchanges in each year since 1997

Ian Austin: holding answer 11 November 2009
	The number of local authority dwellings let through mutual exchanges is reported through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). The following table provides this information for each year since 1997-98. Figures for 2008-09 will be published on 26 November.
	The transfer of local authority stock to registered social landlords (RSLs) through large scale voluntary transfers (LSVT) is reflected in the falling number of mutual exchanges.
	
		
			  Number of local authority dwellings let through mutual exchanges, England, 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			  Year( 1)  Number( 2) 
			 1997-98 35,200 
			 1998-99 29,900 
			 1999-2000 25,500 
			 2000-01 22,400 
			 2001-02 20,100 
			 2002-03 17,800 
			 2003-04 16,000 
			 2004-05 15,800 
			 2005-06 14,900 
			 2006-07 14,600 
			 2007-08 14,300 
			 (1) Data are reported from 1 April to 31 March each year. (2) Rounded to the nearest hundred.  Source: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA), section D 
		
	
	Information on registered social landlord dwellings let through mutual exchanges is not collected centrally.

Social Rented Housing: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to increase the standard of social housing in Mid Bedfordshire constituency in the next 12 months;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to raise the standard of social housing in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England in the next 12 months.

Ian Austin: This Government believe that everyone should have the opportunity to have a decent home. In 1997 our Decent Homes Programme was introduced and all council and housing associations were challenged to meet the Decent Homes Standard. Many will meet this challenge using existing resources. For those that need extra funding this Government have a suite of options that may be applied for. Since 1997 over £33 billion has been invested in improving social housing.
	The former Mid Bedfordshire local authority transferred their social housing stock to the Aragon Housing Association who expect to meet the decent homes standard by 2010 (except where tenants have declined work that would bring them up to standard). This has been confirmed by the Tenants Services Authority who are the statutory regulator for the raising of social housing standards, and the regeneration of social housing. The TSA is about to consult on the standards which it will set for Registered Providers from 1 April 2010. The Government are proposing to direct the TSA to set a standard on quality of accommodation.
	In June we announced our Housing Pledge bringing forward a further £1.5 billion to build additional affordable homes by:
	Expanding the existing programme enabling RSLs (registered social landlords) to deliver additional affordable homes.
	Expanding the Kickstart Housing Delivery Programme to help unlock stalled sites and deliver additional affordable housing.
	An adequate overall supply of housing is critical to meeting the need for social housing. For instance it gives more opportunities to negotiate for affordable housing provision from developers, whereas an inadequate supply can force up prices and push people into needing social housing, where their preference would be home ownership. In this context targets for overall house building are important. The RSS (Regional Spatial Strategy) for the East of England (which was published by the Secretary of State in May 2008) sets a target for central Bedfordshire of 762 additional dwellings per year. I am pleased to say that central Bedfordshire is one of the areas which is doing well at meeting its target, with an average of 1,240 dwellings built each year between 2001 and 2008.

Social Rented Housing: Foreigners

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what entitlement to social housing each category of non-UK born migrant to the UK has.

Ian Austin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Social Rented Housing: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints about the standard of social housing in Leeds his Department received in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: I am not aware that any complaints have been made to the Department, however I am aware that hon. Members including the hon. Member have asked questions about the standard of social housing in Leeds.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was originally planned for the ALMO decent homes programme in respect of those ALMOs gaining two stars on their first inspection in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and what is the revised amount.

Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) who manage the day to day delivery of the ALMO Decent Homes programme report that the original planned funding for 2009-10 for ALMOs gaining two stars at their first inspection was £35 million. The revised amount is £14.5 million.
	The original amount planned for 2010-11 was £14.6 million. Those ALMOs who gain two stars in 2010-11 will now likely receive funding in 2011-12. As we announced on 17 July, in order to fund the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to provide new affordable homes, get the construction industry moving and create around 45,000 jobs in the building trade, £150 million has been deferred from the Decent Homes programme into 2011-12.

Social Rented Housing: Sutton

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 13 October 2009,  Official Report, column 776W, on social housing: standards, whether  (a) Sutton and  (b) Havering arms' length management organisations will receive funding under the Decent Homes programme in 2009-10.

Ian Austin: This matter is the subject of legal proceedings brought against the Department by the two local authorities. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment further at this time.

Tenant Services Authority

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much the Tenant Services Authority has spent on assessing the financial viability of registered social landlords since its inception;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent employees the Tenant Services Authority employs to assess the financial viability of registered social landlords.

Ian Austin: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 The Tenant Services Authority have to date spent £11.7 million on their risk and assurance functions. These include assessing the viability of registered social landlords.
	125 full-time equivalent staff are currently employed in the risk and assurance directorate (out of total TSA staffing of 264). Going forward, the TSA will adopt a more targeted approach to viability regulation and will dedicate additional resources to the tenant facing standards. Numbers of staff in risk and assurance will then reduce to fewer than 100.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Gypsy and Traveller site grants were made in each of the last three years; and what the average amount of such a grant was in each of those years.

Shahid Malik: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to the public purse of the Saville Inquiry has been in each month since January 2005.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to the end of September 2009 is £188.7 million. The costs of the Inquiry for each calendar month since January 2005 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   NIO funding  MoD funding  Total 
			  2009-10
			 April 67,442 0 67,442 
			 May 351,006 0 351,006 
			 June 105,924 0 105,924 
			 July 171,543 0 171,543 
			 August 301,730 0 301,730 
			 September 240,215 0 240,215 
			  Total 1,237,860 0 1,237,860 
			  2008-09
			 April 499,141 25,377 524,518 
			 May 332,889 11,454 344,343 
			 June 189,141 18,812 207,953 
			 July 375,454 21,150 396,604 
			 August 346,626 22,358 368,984 
			 September 406,974 27,884 434,858 
			 October 247,919 27,710 275,629 
			 November 424,443 19,554 443,997 
			 December 362,420 0 362,420 
			 January 628,726 0 628,726 
			 February 381,120 0 381,120 
			 March 672,185 0 672,185 
			  Total 4,867,038 174,299 5,041,337 
			  2007-08
			 April 286,425 20,946 307,371 
			 May 325,249 25,896 351,145 
			 June 300,272 15,978 316,250 
			 July 940,194 27,058 967,252 
			 August 338,424 22,305 360,729 
			 September 507,882 17,983 525,865 
			 October 234,884 25,629 260,513 
			 November 462,529 22,189 484,718 
			 December 239,949 21,362 261,311 
			 January 453,054 25,255 478,309 
			 February 599,295 23,167 622,462 
			 March 365,839 22,194 388,033 
			  Total 5,053,996 269,962 5,323,958 
			  2006-07
			 April 351,827 22,192 374,019 
			 May 4,033,188 24,689 4,057,877 
			 June 706,742 26,602 733,344 
			 1 July 353,425 42,161 395,586 
			 1 August 954,094 18,323 972,417 
			 September 330,117 21,305 351,422 
			 October 219,749 29,300 249,049 
			 November 716,369 25,984 742,353 
			 December 576,040 27,861 603,901 
			 January 415,493 27,826 443,319 
			 February 360,675 20,670 381,345 
			 March 501,147 18,293 519,440 
			 Total 9,518,866 305,206 9,824,072 
			  2005-06
			 April 551,126 38,093 589,219 
			 May 448,943 27,278 476,221 
			 June 665,401 60,196 725,597 
			 July 762,083 53,926 816,009 
			 August 1,201,478 27,437 1,228,915 
			 September 574,566 11,327 585,893 
			 October 662,000 30,054 692,054 
			 November 488,252 31,803 520,055 
			 December 455,719 47,323 503,042 
			 January 439,321 31,390 470,711 
			 February 456,188 36,448 492,636 
			 March 456,892 26,650 483,542 
			  Total 7,161,969 421,925 7,583,894 
			  2004-05
			 January 1,325,711 130,649 1,456,360 
			 February 1,629,280 31,696 1,660,976 
			 March 698,762 70,821 769,583 
			  Total 3,653,753 233,166 3,886,919 
		
	
	Northern Ireland Office funding to the Inquiry covers expenditure by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, including staff, accommodation, IT, travel and legal costs for some participants. Ministry of Defence funding represents the cost of legal representation.

Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the performance of the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland supports the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland in carrying out his statutory duties. Its performance against its 2008-09 business plan is assessed in chapter 2 and annexe A of the Chief Electoral Officer's annual report for 2008-09 which can be found at:
	http://www.eoni.org.uk/index/plans-and-reports.htm

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Criminal Records

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have a criminal record.

Paul Goggins: There are currently 288,689 people who have records shown on the Northern Ireland Criminal Records Database.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Paul Goggins: Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. The information on ministerial flights costing over £500 is published annually by the Cabinet Office in respect of all Departments.
	Information in relation to the 2008-09 year can be found on the Cabinet Office website using the following link:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/226022/travel_2008_2009.pdf
	There were no first class flights undertaken by Ministers costing less than £500.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has subjected its information assurance procedures to an independent audit in April 2009 as mandated by the Cabinet Secretary's report into data handling processes across Government and the Security Policy Framework.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Information on the energy rating/band of departmental and agency buildings is only available for those buildings that require either an Energy Performance Certificate or a Display Energy Certificate as set out in the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2008. The following buildings have a Display Energy Certificate:
	Hillsborough Castle-energy rating 110, energy band E;
	HMP Maghaberry-energy rating 200, energy band G;
	Young Offenders Centre, Hydebank-energy rating 200, energy band G.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: No special advisers are provided with an allocated Government car and driver. As with all civil servants, special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances. Details of such use are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Paul Goggins: Reimbursable expenses claimed by press officers in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arm's length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its NDPBs, and the Northern Ireland Prison Service is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			 NIO 12,510 
			 NI Prison Service 216 
		
	
	The NIO provides press office support to the Compensation Agency, Forensic Science Northern Ireland and Youth Justice Agency. These expenses include travel undertaken in support of Ministers.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Shaun Woodward: Royal Mail provide external postal services to my Department and Agencies. There were no contracted services for the dates listed.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies on procurement under tender because the tender process had been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: There has been no nugatory cost to the Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland and its agencies but excluding its non-departmental public bodies, on procurement under tender because the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to answer the question in the form requested. However, the presumption underlying statistical work in the Department is that publication will be made from all statistical datasets collected by the Department and that such statistical datasets will be appropriately archived at a later point.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The nature of the business in my Department requires that Ministers and staff are required to work in both Northern Ireland and London, requiring regular air travel each week. My Department holds the following records in relation to the miles travelled by Ministers and staff.
	 Ministers
	The number of miles flown by Ministers in my Department is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Miles flown 
			 2006-07 166,214 
			 2007-08 120,751 
			 2008-09 158,426 
		
	
	The figure for 2006-07 is for scheduled flights only. The figures for 2007-08 and 2008-09 include all flights. Information for previous years is not available. We do not hold information on the number of miles travelled by Ministers by car or rail.
	 Staff
	The following table records the number of miles travelled by staff in their own vehicles, in respect of which they have made claims for reimbursement from the Department.
	
		
			   Mileage for which expenses claimed 
			 2002-03 622,729 
			 2003-04 563,909 
			 2004-05 623,364 
			 2005-06 745,119 
			 2006-07 845,295 
			 2007-08 739,006 
			 2008-08 767,242 
		
	
	Information for previous years is not available. The number of miles travelled by staff on rail journeys is not available.
	The number of air miles travelled by staff is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Miles flown 
			 2006-07 2,259,451 
			 2007-08 2,148,384 
			 2008-08 1,973526 
		
	
	Information on previous years is not available.

EC Grants and Loans

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been allocated to Northern Ireland under the  (a) Peace I,  (b) Peace II and  (c) Peace III EU programmes.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Commission allocated funding to the Northern Ireland Executive under the Peace programmes. The planning and implementation of the EU Peace programmes in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and information on EU Peace funding is included in the Northern Ireland Executive's budget documents.

Elections

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on changes on electoral law relating to local authorities in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Minister of the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive and the Northern Ireland Local Government Association have written to me about the arrangements for filling casual vacancies arising in district councils. A full public consultation on this issue was launched on 23 October 2009. The consultation closes on 15 January 2010 and the consultation paper can be found on the Northern Ireland Office website:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/public-consultation/documents.htm

Electoral Register

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) added and  (b) deleted from the electoral register for each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is responsible for maintaining the register of electors in Northern Ireland. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Chief Electoral Officer directly to obtain information relating to the register.

Electoral Register

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools have  (a) co-operated and  (b) declined to co-operate with the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland to seek to ensure that all pupils over the age of 18 years are registered to vote.

Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland who is responsible for the registration of electors in Northern Ireland. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Chief Electoral Officer directly to obtain the information he seeks.

Electoral Register

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on advertising to encourage voter registration  (a) in the press,  (b) on television and  (c) on the radio in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: The Electoral Commission is responsible for promoting public awareness relating to electoral registration, including advertising in the press, television and radio. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Commission directly to obtain the information he seeks.

Firearms: Licensing

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from the Northern Ireland Policing Board on Police Service of Northern Ireland's policy on the issuing of firearms certificates.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State has received no representations from the Northern Ireland Policing Board in relation to the grant of firearm certificates.

Fireworks: Prosecutions

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of offences involving the use of fireworks in Northern Ireland in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Hearing Impaired: Compensation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of the amount paid out for hearing loss claims by members and former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Homophobia: Crime

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of homophobic crime were recorded in each Police Service of Northern Ireland district command unit area in each of the last 12 months; how many convictions there were in respect of such incidents; and what sentence was imposed in each case.

Paul Goggins: The information sought on convictions and sentencing is not available, as the court data record the conviction and sentence information in relation to the offence, without recording background information on motivation.
	Reduction of hate crime/incidents of homophobic crime for each PSNI district is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Homophobic( 1)  Incidents( 2)  in Northern Ireland in the 12 Months to September 2009 
			  Policing Area  2008  20093  Total 
			   Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sept  
			 Antrim 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 6 
			 Ards 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Armagh 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Banbridge 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 
			 East Belfast 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 5 1 0 11 
			 North Belfast 1 4 2 1 1 1 1 5 3 1 2 2 24 
			 South Belfast 3 2 3 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 4 0 25 
			 West Belfast 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 1 7 
			 Ballymena 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 
			 Ballymoney 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 7 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 5 
			 Coleraine 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 
			 Cookstown 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 
			 Craigavon 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 
			 Castlereagh 0 1 1 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 9 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 
			 Down 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 4 
			 Foyle 0 1 3 0 1 0 1 1 5 0 3 0 15 
			 Larne 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Limavady 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 
			 Lisburn 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 6 
			 Magherafelt 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 6 
			 Moyle 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Newtownabbey 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 
			 North Down 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Newry And Mourne 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 
			 Omagh 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 5 
			 Strabane 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 
			 No DCU assigned 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 10 17 22 10 12 13 13 16 28 18 15 10 184 
			 (1) A homophobic incident/crime is defined as any incident/crime which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person. Homophobia can be defined as a fear or dislike directed towards lesbian, gay or bisexual people, or a fear or dislike directed towards their perceived lifestyle, culture or characteristics. (2) Homophobic motivated incidents cover all such occurrences, whether a crime has been committed or not. When using incident figures in conjunction with crime figures please note that homophobic motivated crimes are included in the incident figures, and that more than one crime may be recorded in a single incident. Figures from April 2009 onwards are provisional and may be subject to revision. Source:  Central Statistics Unit, PSNI 
		
	
	
		
			  Homophobic( 1)  crimes( 2)  in the 12 months to September 2009 
			  Policing Area  2008  2009( 3)  Total 
			   Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sept  
			 Antrim 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 5 
			 Ards 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Armagh 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Banbridge 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 
			 East Belfast 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 8 
			 North Belfast 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 4 1 2 0 18 
			 South Belfast 3 1 4 1 3 0 1 1 3 1 3 0 21 
			 West Belfast 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 
			 Ballymena 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 
			 Ballymoney 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 6 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 4 
			 Coleraine 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Cookstown 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 5 
			 Craigavon 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 6 
			 Castlereagh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 
			 Down 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Foyle 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 0 6 0 2 0 13 
			 Larne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Limavady 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 
			 Lisburn 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Magherafelt 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Moyle 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Newtownabbey 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 
			 North Down 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Newry And Mourne 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 6 
			 Omagh 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 
			 Strabane 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Total 10 10 22 9 7 6 10 10 23 10 12 6 135 
			 (1) A homophobic incident/crime is defined as any incident/crime which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person. Homophobia can be defined as a fear or dislike directed towards lesbian, gay or bisexual people, or a fear or dislike directed towards their perceived lifestyle, culture or characteristics. (2) Homophobic motivated incidents cover all such occurrences, whether a crime has been committed or not. When using incident figures in conjunction with crime figures please note that homophobic motivated crimes are included in the incident figures, and that more than one crime may be recorded in a single incident. (3) Figures from April 2009 onwards are provisional and may be subject to revision.  Source:  Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Homophobia: Crime

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints relating to the handling by the Police Service of Northern Ireland of cases of homophobic crime were reported in each of the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State and I speak regularly both to the Chief Constable and the chair of the Policing Board on policing issues. While the future of the full-time reserve has been one of a wide range of issues which has been raised, it remains the position that operational decisions affecting the PSNI, including the future of the full-time reserve, are a matter entirely for the Chief Constable.

Inquiries: Finance

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision he has made in his Department's budget for the  (a) Saville,  (b) Robert Hamill,  (c) Rosemary Nelson and  (d) Billy Wright Inquiry in 2010-11.

Paul Goggins: Provision made in the Northern Ireland Office budget for the  (a) Saville,  (b) Hamill,  (c) Nelson and  (d) Wright Inquiry in 2010-11 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Inquiry  2010-11 budget (£000) 
			 Saville 0 
			 Hamill 2,150 
			 Nelson 1,148 
			 Wright 909 
		
	
	No provision has yet been made for the Saville Inquiry. It is anticipated that approximately £300,000 will be required in the financial year 2010-11, assuming operations cease by end April 2010. This is dependent on the inquiry delivering its report to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2010 as indicated by the Tribunal.

Maghaberry Prison

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) Loyalist and  (b) Republican prisoners have been detained in the separated system at HM Prison Maghaberry in each year since the introduction of that system.

Paul Goggins: The separated prisoner accommodation in Bush House and Roe House at Maghaberry prison opened in March 2004. The following table provides the average number of prisoners in Republican (Roe) and Loyalist (Bush) separated accommodation for each year up to 31 December 2008.
	
		
			  Annual average population of separated prisoners 2004-08 
			   Republican Roe House  Loyalist Bush House  Total 
			 2004 27 41 68 
			 2005 29 44 73 
			 2006 29 38 67 
			 2007 35 35 70 
			 2008 30 36 66

Maghaberry Prison

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost has been of maintaining the separated system at HM Prison Maghaberry in each year since the introduction of that system; and whether he plans to seek to reduce costs.

Paul Goggins: The exact costs of maintaining the separate regime are not calculated separately. In addition to the costs incurred in the regime in the accommodation blocks, there are costs associated with activities such as gym and visits, as well as security costs which cannot be disaggregated.
	However progress has been made in reducing the associated costs since the regime began in March 2004 and they are kept under review.

Northern Ireland Independent Monitoring Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the findings of the latest Independent Monitoring Commission report; and what discussions he has had with the Chief Constable about it.

Paul Goggins: The 22nd Independent Monitoring Commission Report confirms that the threat from dissident republicans is more serious than at any time since they first reported. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Chief Constable regarding this and other matters.

Offensive Weapons

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have  (a) died and  (b) been injured as a result of crimes involving the use of knives in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police Cautions

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on use of cautions and other non-court disposals.

Paul Goggins: I have had discussions with the Chief Constable, in addition to detailed discussions between Northern Ireland Office officials and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, about the introduction of non-court disposals which could help deliver a more effective criminal justice system and maximise time spent by officers on front-line policing. The Chief Constable joined me on 6 October when I announced my intention, in preparation for the devolution of policing and justice, to begin drafting legislative provisions to introduce new non-court disposals including conditional cautions.
	Under arrangements in Northern Ireland introduced following the Criminal Justice Review, police cautions are authorised by the Public Prosecution Service.

Police Cautions

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police cautions have been issued for each offence in each policing district in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months; and how many such cautions have been for  (a) either way offences and  (b) indictable-only matters.

Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply directly to the hon. Lady, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) part-time and  (b) full-time reserve members were transferred into the regular police in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police: Reserve Forces

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with  (a) the Chief Constable and  (b) the Chairman of the Policing Board on the future of the full-time reserve.

Paul Goggins: In the course of his duties the Secretary of State speaks regularly to the Chief Constable and the Chairman of the Policing Board on a wide range of policing and security issues.
	Operational decisions affecting the Police Service of Northern Ireland, including the future of the Full-Time Reserve, are made by the Chief Constable in light of his assessment of the security situation and policing requirements. The Policing Board is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account.

Police: Reserve Forces

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time reserve members there were in the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Prisoners Release

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals released on licence from prison in Northern Ireland before 2000 were questioned in connection with a possible breach of the terms of that licence between 2000 and 2007.

Paul Goggins: Information is not readily available about the numbers who have been questioned by the police in connection with a possible breach of the conditions of their licence. Of persons released on licence before 2000, a total of 23 have had their licences revoked between 2000 and 2007. Of these, 13 persons were released under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 and 10 under the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953.

Prisoners Transfers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners sentenced in Northern Ireland have been transferred to prisons in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Scotland and  (c) the Republic of Ireland in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: A total of eight prisoners transferred, temporarily or permanently, as set out in the following table. The majority of the transfers were to facilitate family contact which is an important element in reintegration on release.
	
		
			  Month  Prisoner numbers:  Transferred to:  Comments: 
			 November 2008 3 England 2 permanent transfers 
			1 temporary transfer 
			 December 2008 0 - - 
			 January 2009 0 - - 
			 February 2009 0 - - 
			 March 2009 0 - - 
			 April 2009 0 - - 
			 May 2009 0 - - 
			 June 2009 1 England Permanent transfer 
			 July 2009 0 - - 
			 August 2009 0 - - 
			 September 2009 1 Scotland Temporary transfer 
			 October 2009 3 2 to England One permanent transfer to England; 
			One temporary transfer to England 
			   1 to Scotland One transfer to Scotland, under a Mental Health order

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average daily cost is of housing an adult prisoner in Northern Ireland; and whether he plans to seek to reduce that cost.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Prison Service does not calculate the cost per prisoner but rather the average cost per prisoner place, which is published in its Annual Report and Accounts.
	In 2008-09, the average cost per prisoner place was £81,340 with the daily cost per prisoner place £223.
	The Prison Service seeks to improve efficiency year on year and the target cost per prisoner place, set by Ministers, for 2009-10 is £78,750.

Proof of Identity: Fingerprints

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions suspects have been arrested in Northern Ireland on the basis of mistaken identity and released after fingerprinting in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of illegal brothels in operation in each local authority area in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: It is difficult to assess the levels of illegal brothels in precise terms given that those operating them tend to relocate frequently to avoid drawing the attention of police.
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland Analysis Centre is currently undertaking research into trends in the local vice trade. To date, no results are available in relation to this analysis.

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of trends in the level of the illegal vice trade in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years.

Paul Goggins: It is difficult to assess the levels of illegal vice trade in precise terms given that those operating brothels tend to relocate frequently to avoid drawing the attention of police. Operation Pentameter 2 was launched in October 2007 and ended in March 2008 and has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the scale of human trafficking and the illegal sex trade in Northern Ireland.
	Up to 31 March 2009, 11 victims of trafficking were recovered by PSNI:
	six were victims of sexual exploitation
	two were victims of domestic servitude
	three were victims of forced labour and all of these victims were adult women
	The PSNI Analysis Centre is currently undertaking research into trends in the local vice trade. To date, no results are available in relation to this analysis.

Reoffenders

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people with previous convictions for murder received after their release a further conviction for either manslaughter or murder.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not obtainable within the time available. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Special Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings Scheme

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to transfer the operation of the Special Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings scheme to his Department prior to a transfer to any new Department of Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Housing Executive administer the Special Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings Scheme under the provisions of the Housing (NI) Order 1988. I have no plans to transfer the administration of the scheme to the Northern Ireland Office.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland speed camera operations were carried out in each district command unit area in each of the last 12 months; and how much accrued from fines imposed as a result of these operations in each area.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Theft: Metals

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences of theft of metals were recorded in each Police Service of Northern Ireland district command unit area in each of the last 12 months; how many convictions there have been in relation to such thefts; and what penalty was imposed in each case.

Paul Goggins: The information sought on convictions and sentencing in relation to theft of metals is not available, as the conviction and sentencing in association with these crimes would be recorded under the general offence of theft. Such detail is not recorded in relation to theft.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) males and  (b) females are serving sentences in the Juvenile Justice Centre in Northern Ireland; and how many of those young people had been eligible for punishment or rehabilitation in the community.

Paul Goggins: As of 11 November 2009 there were  (a) 10 males, including one due for release on 11 November 2009 and  (b ), no females serving sentences in the Juvenile Justice Centre.
	It has not been possible to collate information relating to pre-custodial sentences in the time available before Prorogation. I will write to the hon. Lady and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) males and  (b) females are detained in the Juvenile Justice Centre in Northern Ireland on remand awaiting trial.

Paul Goggins: As of 11 November 2009  (a) there were 12 males and  (b) no females remanded to the Juvenile Justice Centre.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) males and  (b) females are detained in the Juvenile Justice Centre in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: As of 11 November 2009 there were  (a) 22 males, including one due for release on 1 November 2009 and  (b) no females in the Juvenile Justice Centre.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre: Drugs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent assessment is of the level of drug  (a) use and  (b) addiction in (i) prisons and (ii) the Juvenile Justice Centre in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to the hon. Lady and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre: Per Capita Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average daily cost is of housing a young offender in the Juvenile Justice Centre in Northern Ireland; and whether he plans to seek to reduce that cost.

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to the hon. Lady and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre: Prisoner Escapes

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) escapes and  (b) attempted escapes there have been from the Juvenile Justice Centre in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: There has been  (a) one escape from the Juvenile Justice Centre in 2007 and  (b) one attempted escape in 2009.

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been  (a) spent and  (b) allocated for projects relating to the national non-emergency three-digit telephone number in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

101 Calls

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to a national non-emergency three-digit telephone number.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the minutes of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs meeting from November 2008 are not available

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a new chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will be appointed; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will in future publish a Government response to each recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Alan Campbell: h olding answer 10 November 2009
	 It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors he takes into consideration when taking decisions on recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a code of practice for members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he rejected the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that cannabis should remain a class C drug.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Alcoholic Drinks: Designated Public Places Orders

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on implementing designated public places orders that cover an entire local authority area.

Alan Campbell: I will write to the hon. Member.

Animal Experiments

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1518W, on animal experiments, what recent representations he has received on the practice of using death as an experimental endpoint in projects licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The Home Office received on 2 November 2009 a report from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) which included representations on death as an experimental endpoint in animals used on projects licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. We are considering those representations and will respond accordingly in due course.

Antisocial Behaviour

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1484-86W, on crime: statistics, what the breakdown by category of incident is of the 3,868,002 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded in 2007-08;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 835-40W, what the equivalent figures for anti-social behaviour incidents in the same category were for 2007-08.

Alan Campbell: I will write to the hon. Member.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in  (a) Doncaster,  (b) South Yorkshire and  (c) England since their introduction.

Alan Campbell: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from 1 April 1999 and data on the number issued currently cover the period to the end of 2007.
	Between 1 April 1999 and 31 December 2007, a total of 14,189 ASBOs were issued at all courts in England and 380 were issued at all courts in the South Yorkshire Criminal Justice System area.
	Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the numbers of ASBOs issued are not available below Criminal Justice System area level.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which local authority area the most  (a) anti-social behaviour orders and  (b) parenting orders have been issued since their introduction; and how many such orders were issued in each of those areas.

Alan Campbell: Data centrally collected by the Ministry of Justice on the number antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued cover all courts in England and Wales and are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level. ASBOs became available from 1 April 1999. Between 1 April 1999 and 31 December 2007 (latest available) courts within the Greater London CJS area issued the highest number of ASBOs of any CJS area; a total of 1,808.
	Parenting orders which can be attached to ASBOs were introduced through the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and implemented nationally on 1 June 2000.
	Parenting order data covering the period 2000-08 provided by the Youth Justice Board below show that Sunderland has issued the most parenting orders with a total of 474. This figure includes all categories of parenting orders as set out above which the youth offending teams were aware of. Court data are not comprehensively available for parenting orders. The Department for Children, Schools and Families also collects data on school attendance-related parenting orders.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged between 16 and 18 have  (a) been given and  (b) breached an anti-social behaviour order in Mid Bedfordshire constituency in each year since their inception.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Asylum

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time for processing  (a) asylum applications and  (b) applications for leave to remain was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: In December 2008 we met our targets to conclude 60 per cent. of new cases within six months. That means not only that decisions were taken early but that in a significant proportion of refusals, removal from the UK was effected within six months of application. In 1997 it took on average 22 months merely to reach an initial decision.
	There is no leave to remain category that forms an identifiable subset of asylum applications.

Asylum: Appeals

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals there are in the UK who have appealed to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal against a request to grant them refugee status whose appeal has failed and who are still within the jurisdiction.

Phil Woolas: The Immigration Appeals Tribunal no longer exists. The present Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) was created on 4 April 2005 by a merger of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) and the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT).
	The number of asylum seekers who have their appeals dismissed and the number of failed asylum seekers who are removed from the UK, or voluntarily depart, are published quarterly and can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	The most recent published figures relate to the second quarter of 2009 and show that 1,945 asylum appeals were dismissed by the AIT. In the same quarter, 2,400 failed asylum seekers were either removed from the UK or departed voluntarily.

Asylum: Families

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1871W, on asylum: families, what assessment has been made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of visas issued to overseas nationals under the age of 18 years in the family reunion category between 2004-05 and 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Asylum: Iraq

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unsuccessful asylum seekers have  (a) been granted a right to remain in the UK,  (b) been deported to Iraq and  (c) been taken into detention after a refusal to travel to Iraq in (i) each of the last three years and (ii) 2009 to date.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Borders: Personal Records

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data are collected by the UK Border Agency in respect of international rail travellers entering the UK; and what such data will be required to be collected under the e-borders scheme.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 2 November 2009
	International rail travellers are subject to the same checks as all other arriving passengers in the UK. Non-European economic area nationals entering the UK by rail are required to complete a landing card which captures up to 14 pieces of information, including bio-data and passport number. EEA nationals are required to provide a passport or national identity card.
	Under the e-Borders scheme, the legal obligations on rail carriers are identical to those imposed upon all other modes of transport. The e-Borders system requires carriers to provide the data contained in the machine readable zone (MRZ) of a passport. The eight data fields are: name, date of birth, nationality, gender, travel document type, state of issue, number and expiry date.
	In addition to travel document information, carriers may be required to provide other passenger information (OPI) to e-Borders, but only to the extent that it is known to the carrier.

Borders: Personal Records

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of exits from the UK recorded by the e-borders scheme in 2009; and what target percentages have been set for each of the next 10 years.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 2 November 2009
	e-Borders has set the following two target percentages for the capturing of passenger and crew movements into and out of the UK:
	95 per cent. by December 2010
	100 per cent. by end of March 2014
	The programme is being progressively rolled out throughout 2009, and 91 million per annum passenger movements entering and departing the UK are currently being recorded.

British Nationality: Assessments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for British citizenship have successfully completed (a) the Life in the UK test and (b) an English for speakers of other languages course in each year since these schemes were introduced.

Alan Johnson: Since the test was introduced for settlement back in early 2007, a total of 220,726 people have passed the test to obtain settlement (ILR) in the UK. A breakdown of the number of tests taken for Citizenship against those taken for Settlement is given in the following table.
	Applicants may take the Life in the UK Test as many times as they wish but records are not kept of how many times each individual applicant takes the test.
	(Please note: These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.)
	
		
			Citizenship  Settlement 
			 4th quarter 2005 (from 1 November) Passes 5,249 - 
			  Pass Rate (%) 71.0  
			 1st quarter 2006 Passes 20,755 - 
			  Pass Rate (%) 69.4 - 
			 2nd quarter 2006 Passes 24,537 - 
			  Pass Rate (%) 68.1 - 
			 3rd quarter 2006 Passes 29,708 - 
			  Pass Rate (%) 67.4 - 
			 4th quarter 2006 Passes 30,402 - 
			  Pass Rate (%) 66.2 - 
			 1st quarter 2007 Passes 54,725 - 
			  Pass Rate (%) 70.1 - 
			 2nd quarter 2007 Passes 44,237 26,898 
			  Pass Rate (%) 64.8 76.3 
			 3rd quarter 2007 Passes Pass 26,130 23,332 
			  Rate (%) 65.7 74.4 
			 4th quarter 2007 Passes 19,364 18,561 
			  Pass Rate (%) 68.4 76.1 
			 1st quarter 2008 Passes 29,446 24,004 
			  Pass Rate (%) 70.2 76.6 
			 2nd quarter 2008 Passes 24,921 23,356 
			  Pass Rate (%) 68.9 75.6 
			 3rd quarter 2008 Passes 17,247 22311 
			  Pass Rate (%) 66.2 74.2 
			 4th quarter 2008 Passes 14,974 20,911 
			  Pass Rate (%) 68.7 76.0 
			 1st quarter 2009 Passes 18,227 24,307 
			  Pass Rate (%) 70.2 77.8 
			 2nd quarter 2009 Passes 13,796 22,963 
			  Pass Rate (%) 69.1 78.3 
			 3rd quarter 2009 (to 31 August) Passes 9,506 14,083 
			  Pass Rate (%) 72.2 78.6 
		
	
	The method of satisfying the ESOL requirements for naturalisation is not recorded on NCID in such a way that it can easily be reported on. (The individual case records would have to be examined-so a disproportionate cost response will have to be given so far as use of the ESOL route for this purpose is concerned.)

British Nationality: Assessments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for UK citizenship were found to have submitted fraudulent certificates of  (a) a pass in the Life in the UK test and  (b) attendance at an English for speakers of other languages course in each year since these schemes were introduced.

Alan Johnson: The individual case records would have to be examined as we do not currently hold statistics regarding the submission of fake pass note letters (PNLs) for those that have taken the LitUK route. Earlier this year an applicant was successfully prosecuted and subsequently received a 15 month custodial sentence when they submitted a fake PNL with an Indefinite Leave to Remain application.
	No specific records are held for those having submitted bogus ESOL certificates.
	All records would also need to be examined and could be done so only at disproportionate cost.

British Nationality: Assessments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many colleges which provided  (a) the Life in the UK test and  (b) the English for speakers of other languages course have been removed from the Government's list of approved educational establishments.

Alan Johnson: The information is as follows:
	 (a) At the start of the year there were 92 live test centres, during the year 23 centres have left the network and a further seven have been added. There are currently 76 live Life in the UK Test Centres across the country. However we plan to further reduce the number of centres to 60-65 by January 2010. Some are being removed from the network due to their close proximity to existing centres, but the main reason for downsizing the network is in response to declining demand rather than instances of malpractice or improprieties at individual centres.
	The existing centres are subject to stringent routine checks by senior Ufi staff to ensure that they meet the required standards.
	 (b) The Register of Education and Training Providers maintained by the Department for Education and Skills up to 31 March 2009 contains the names of educational establishments, but not the details of the course they teach. Therefore, it is not possible to say how many colleges providing English language courses were removed.
	The RETP contained approximately 15,000 registered educational establishments. Of this number, it is estimated that 4,000 establishments provided courses to international students. The UK Boarder Agency register of sponsors has further reduced this number to around 2,000 establishments.

Burglary: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders received a police caution for residential burglary in each of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary basic command units in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Department's funding of charities can not be provided, without incurring disproportionate cost.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Closed Circuit Television

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of closed circuit television cameras monitoring public space in the UK.

Alan Campbell: There are no recent estimates of the number of CCTV cameras in the UK.

Crime Prevention

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to seek to achieve reductions in levels of  (a) burglary,  (b) vehicle crime and  (c) violent crime since 2004.

David Hanson: I will write to the hon. Member.

Crime: Business

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to collect data on the annual cost of crime to small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Crimes of Violence

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recorded violent crime rate per 1,000 of the population was in each police force area in each year since 1998-99.

Alan Johnson: Crime rates per 1,000 population for violence against the person offences are shown in Tables A and B. Figures for 1998-99 to 2001-02 are presented separately from figures for 2002-03 to 2008-09 as it is not valid to compare across these time periods due to major changes in the Home Office Counting Rules for recorded crime.
	In April 2002, the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) brought in a more victim-focused reporting system, where victim accounts had to be accepted unless there was credible evidence to the contrary. This was proposed by the Association of Chief Police Officers as a response to a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary report called 'On the Record' to ensure better consistency in recording throughout England and Wales. This is estimated to have had the effect of increasing recording of violence against the person by 23 per cent. in 2002-03 (it is also thought to have increased figures in the following year as forces continued to adjust to the new recording practice but precise estimates of this effect are not available).
	Police recorded violence against the person offences contain the full spectrum of assaults from pushing and shoving, with no physical harm, through to murder and around half of violent crime results in no injury. Less than 3 per cent. of violence against the person offences are the more serious offences of homicide, attempted murder and grevious bodily harm with intent.
	
		
			  Table A: Recorded violence against the person  offences by police force area , 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			  Rates per thousand (population) 
			  Force  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Avon and Somerset 8 9 10 12 
			 Bedfordshire 9 9 9 10 
			 Cambridgeshire 8 8 9 10 
			 Cheshire 7 6 6 6 
			 Cleveland 5 5 5 6 
			 Cumbria 11 10 8 11 
			 Derbyshire 9 10 9 10 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8 8 8 8 
			 Dorset 4 5 6 7 
			 Durham 8 9 9 10 
			 Dyfed-Powys 10 11 11 11 
			 Essex 5 6 7 7 
			 Gloucestershire 6 8 9 8 
			 Greater Manchester 14 16 15 16 
			 Gwent 20 25 26 16 
			 Hampshire 7 9 10 9 
			 Hertfordshire 4 4 4 4 
			 Humberside 11 10 10 11 
			 Kent 8 8 8 8 
			 Lancashire 7 7 8 11 
			 Leicestershire 11 12 11 12 
			 Lincolnshire 7 6 6 8 
			 Merseyside 9 10 11 11 
			 Metropolitan Police 17 20 21 22 
			 Norfolk 7 8 7 7 
			 Northamptonshire 9 8 8 9 
			 Northumbrla 9 10 9 11 
			 North Wales 7 9 8 11 
			 North Yorkshire 7 7 7 7 
			 Nottinghamshire 12 13 14 16 
			 South Wales 9 10 11 12 
			 South Yorkshire 5 6 6 6 
			 Staffordshire 10 12 16 18 
			 Suffolk 6 8 9 11 
			 Surrey 5 7 7 6 
			 Sussex 10 11 11 12 
			 Thames Valley 5 7 7 8 
			 Warwickshire 4 4 5 8 
			 West Mercia 6 7 7 15 
			 West Midlands 12 16 18 20 
			 West Yorkshire 8 8 8 9 
			 Wiltshire 7 7 7 7 
			  
			 England and Wales 10 11 11 12 
			  Notes: 1. All crime rates are based on population estimates for the middle of the previous calendar year (i.e. mid 2007 population estimates for 2008-09 crime rates). The population estimates are supplied by the Office for National Statistics. 2. Data for City of London are included in the England and Wales total but are not shown at force level due to the small resident population in this area. 3. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Recorded violence against the person  offences by police force area,  2002-03 to 2008-09 
			  Rates per thousand (population) 
			  Force  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Avon and Somerset 14 18 21 20 20 17 17 
			 Bedfordshire 14 15 18 17 16 13 12 
			 Cambridgeshire 18 19 18 14 14 14 13 
			 Cheshire 11 14 16 19 17 15 14 
			 Cleveland 12 17 21 26 25 23 19 
			 Cumbria 12 14 19 19 16 16 14 
			 Derbyshire 16 17 17 16 16 17 14 
			 Devon and Cornwall 15 16 18 16 15 14 13 
			 Dorset 12 13 15 17 17 16 15 
			 Durham 13 11 12 17 17 14 12 
			 Dyfed-Powys 13 16 17 15 15 12 11 
			 Essex 14 16 16 15 14 14 13 
			 Gloucestershire 14 15 17 18 19 16 15 
			 Greater Manchester 20 21 21 21 22 20 18 
			 Gwent 27 23 23 21 21 18 17 
			 Hampshire 12 20 21 21 22 21 19 
			 Hertfordshire 7 12 16 16 16 13 11 
			 Humberside 19 29 27 25 27 21 20 
			 Kent 12 13 14 17 17 15 15 
			 Lancashire 11 19 22 20 19 17 16 
			 Leicestershire 17 19 23 22 21 19 19 
			 Lincolnshire 14 15 16 16 15 14 13 
			 Merseyside 17 19 25 25 19 15 14 
			 Metropolitan Police 25 25 27 26 24 23 23 
			 Norfolk 13 14 16 15 14 12 10 
			 Northamptonshire 16 17 17 16 16 16 14 
			 Northumbria 18 18 16 16 17 14 14 
			 North Wales 17 16 18 18 21 16 16 
			 North Yorkshire 11 13 16 15 13 12 10 
			 Nottinghamshire 16 18 19 21 21 19 18 
			 South Wales 17 18 17 17 16 18 17 
			 South Yorkshire 10 11 17 23 22 19 16 
			 Staffordshire 19 22 22 23 23 19 19 
			 Suffolk 12 14 15 15 15 13 13 
			 Surrey 8 9 10 11 13 13 12 
			 Sussex 12 13 18 18 19 16 13 
			 Thames Valley 12 14 16 17 19 20 19 
			 Warwickshire 11 13 12 13 14 14 11 
			 West Mercia 17 19 15 13 14 13 12 
			 West Midlands 20 22 21 22 22 21 19 
			 West Yorkshire 15 22 21 23 20 18 16 
			 Wiltshire 10 10 10 12 14 13 12 
			 
			 England and Wales 16 18 20 20 19 18 16 
			  Notes: 1. All crime rates are based on population estimates for the middle of the previous calendar year (i.e. mid 2007 population estimates for 2008-09 crime rates). The population estimates are supplied by the Office for National Statistics. 2. Data for City of London are included in the England and Wales total but are not shown at force level due to the small resident population in this area. 3. The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Crimes of Violence: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders received a police caution for grievous bodily harm in each of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary basic command units in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Cybercrime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of unauthorised access to computer material with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences have been recorded in the last four years; and how many convictions have resulted.

Alan Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The relevant offences are those under section 2 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. In terms of police recorded crime, such offences are recorded under Home Office offence classification 53B 'Preserved other fraud and repealed fraud offences (pre Fraud Act 2006)'. Section 2 offences cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded within that classification.
	Information showing the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences under Section 2 has been provided by the Ministry of Justice for 2004 to 2007. Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	The recorded crime and courts proceedings datasets are not directly comparable. The police recorded crime data are based on the number of offences recorded in each financial year. Prosecutions and convictions data are collected by the Ministry of Justice and are based on the number of offenders. These data are published on a calendar year basis and are counts of persons.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences, under Section 2 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, England and Wales, 2003 to 2007( 1,2) 
			  Offence: Unauthorised access to computer material with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences 
			   Number 
			 2004 2 
			 2005 7 
			 2006 4 
			 2007 - 
			 (1) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year and they were found guilty at the Crown Court in the following year, or the defendant was found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Cybercrime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of unauthorised access to computer material have been recorded in the last five years; and how many convictions have resulted.

Alan Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The relevant offences are those under section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 as amended by the Police and Justice Act 2006. In terms of police recorded crime, such offences are recorded under Home Office offence classification 53B 'Preserved other fraud and repealed fraud offences (pre Fraud Act 2006)'. Section 1 offences cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded within that classification.
	The Ministry of Justice are responsible for the collection of data on those found guilty of offences under section 1 of the Act. However, I understand that convictions data for this offence are not available prior to 2008. Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	The recorded crime and courts proceedings datasets are not directly comparable. The police recorded crime data are based on the number of offences recorded in each financial year. Prosecutions and convictions data collected by the Ministry of Justice are based on the number of offenders. These data are published on a calendar year basis and are counts of persons.

Cybercrime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many offences of unauthorised modification of computer material have been recorded in the last four years; and how many convictions have resulted;
	(2)  how many offences of directly or indirectly impairing access to any programme or data held in a computer to which their access is unauthorised have been recorded in the last four years; and how many convictions have resulted.

Alan Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The relevant offences are those under section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 as amended by the Police and Justice Act 2006. In terms of police recorded crime, such offences are recorded under Home Office offence classification 53B 'Preserved other fraud and repealed fraud offences (pre Fraud Act 2006)'. Section 3 offences cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded within that classification.
	Information showing the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences under section 3 has been provided by the Ministry of Justice for 2004 to 2007. Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	The recorded crime and courts proceedings datasets are not directly comparable. The police recorded crime data are based on the number of offences recorded in each financial year. Prosecutions and convictions data are collected by the Ministry of Justice and are based on the number of offenders. These data are published on a calendar year basis and are counts of persons.
	
		
			  Defendants found guilty at all courts for unauthorised modification of computer material( 1) , under section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, England and Wales, 2003 to 2007( 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			  Offence  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Unauthorised modification of computer equipment(1) 3 4 4 3 
			 (1) With effect from October 2007, this offence was revised under the Police and Justice Act 2006 to unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of computer, etc.  (2) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year and they were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year, or the defendant was found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Phil Woolas: A list of all first class flights taken overseas which cost more than £500 can be accessed at
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/226022/travel_20082009.pdf
	All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 November 2009
	 It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental ICT

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Business owner  Programme  Start date  Original panned completion date  Expected completion date  Planned cost  Current estimated cost 
			 IPS National Identity Service-IPS element April 2007 2015(1) 2015(1) £5.550 billion (10 years April 2007 to April 2017 May 2007 Cost Report) £4.575 billion (10 years October 2009 to October 2019 October 2009 Cost Report) 
			 UK Border Agency Identity Cards for Foreign Nationals April 2007 March 2009 August 2010 £9.6 million (for IT costs only-high level estimate at start of project) £12.4 million 
			 UK Border Agency Immigration Casework (ICW) April 2008 June 2015 June 2015 £370 million £366 million 
			 UK Border Agency Points Based System (PBS) April 2005 July 2009 March 2010 £39.8 million £39.3 million 
			 UK Border Agency e-Borders November 2007 March 2014 March 2014 £849.5 million £827.1 million 
			 Shared Services SBS Programme 2005 2011 2011 £32 million £36 million (Scope of programme widened, including enhanced technology and establishment of Procurement Centre of Excellence) 
			 Home Office Next Generation IST Transformation Programme (NGISTT) August 2008 Strategic infrastructure programme currently in planning, completion date yet to be determined, but post 2015. Strategic infrastructure programme currently in planning, completion date yet to be determined, but post 2015. Planned investment (Extend and Blend Project) is £90 million cost, offset against savings of £198 million over six years. Future programme spend on additional projects is yet to be determined. Planned investment (Extend and Blend Project) is £90 million cost, offset against savings of £198 million over six years. Future programme spend on additional projects is yet to be determined. 
			 Home Office Interception Modernisation Programme April 2006 2016 2016 Up to £2 billion Initial estimates of the implementation costs are up to £2 billion over a ten year rollout period. The running costs will be offset by the phasing out of the costs of current systems. 
			 Home Office OSCTNet December 2008-Full Business Case sign off September 2009 March 2010 £16.2 million £18.9 million for original scope, plus £2 million to cover additional users 
			 (1) 2008 Delivery Plan includes a Scheme Release in 2015 as above. 
		
	
	The scope of this answer includes only those projects valued at more than £5 million and has been limited to those in the Home Office Core and its Executive Agencies.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which organisations his Department has had exclusivity agreements for information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years; how many such agreements have been breached in each year; and what the cost to his Department was of each breach.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's presenting officers were appointed  (a) in 2007,  (b) in 2008 and  (c) between 1 January and 31 October 2009.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 10 November 2009
	It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which providers  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies had a contract to provide postal services in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies on procurement under tender because the tender process had been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The information is as follows:
	 Home Office
	The core Home Office does not operate any helplines. However, a number of Home Office business areas fund or contribute to the running of helplines via third sector partners and external groups but do not receive any revenue from these arrangements.
	 Identity and Passport Service
	There are currently five Identity and Passport Service (IPS) helplines which all use 0300 numbers. The amount of revenue IPS received from the 0870 services in the years before IPS changed to 0300 numbers is given in the following table.
	 Criminal Records Bureau
	The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has six helplines which use 0870 numbers. The CRB does not receive any income from non-geographical contact telephone numbers.
	 UK Border Agency
	The agency is currently reviewing moving all of its main Contact Centre numbers to 0300 numbers and has recently transferred its Sponsorship and Employer Helpline to 0300. Information about numbers and revenue is given in the table.
	
		
			  Identity and Passport Service 
			   Number of helplines  Re venue received from  helplines (£) 
			 2008 5 320,898.90 
			 2007 5 353,423.40 
			 2006 5 383,433.30 
		
	
	All revenue received was used to offset the costs of running the services provided.
	
		
			  UK Border Agency 
			   Number of helplines  R evenue received from  helplines (£) 
			 2008-09 11 0 
			 2007-08 4 0 
			 2006-07 4 0

Departmental Telephone Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) average time to answer a call,  (b) average waiting time for members of the public during a call,  (c) percentage of calls dropped or not answered and  (d) average length of calls was in call centres run by his Department and each of its agencies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Telephone Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the level of failure demand in call centres run by  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Deportation

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 527-28W, on deportation, how many of the cases referred to in the table involved deportations or exclusions specifically on the grounds of fomenting extremism.

Alan Johnson: I have taken the term fomenting extremism as equating to unacceptable behaviour under the policy announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Home Secretary on 24 August 2005. The powers to exclude or deport an individual on the grounds of their unacceptable behaviour are directed at foreign nationals who foment hatred or violence in support of their extremist beliefs. I can confirm that during the period in question, 106 individuals were excluded and one individual was deported, on these grounds.

Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of immigration removals were made successfully at the  (a) first and  (b) second attempt in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 10 November 2009
	It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of crimes detected on the basis of a DNA profile of a person who had no previous convictions which had been retained on the National DNA Database in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: I will write to the hon. Member.

DNA: Databases

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals for the reform of the National DNA Database in light of the recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Drugs

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in international efforts to combat the trade in illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 10 November 2009
	The United Nations World Drugs Report 2009 indicates the markets in traditional opium-using countries in south-east Asia are declining and the markets for heroin, cocaine and cannabis in the developed world are stable or declining. It also indicates that the global problem with amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) may be worsening, with increased seizures globally and diversifying locations and methods of manufacture.
	The Government support the existing international control system under the three United Nations drug conventions. They continue to advocate the principle established by the UN General Assembly Special Session on drugs that the problem needs to be addressed through strategies and measures on both supply and demand. The Government also believe that there continues to be a need to focus on the harms that drug misuse and trafficking cause to society, communities and individuals.
	The Government will continue to work with partners internationally to reduce the harm from drugs. Areas of international work that are relevant to combating the trade in illegal drugs include harmonisation between the work of the UN drugs bodies and other UN activity, for example in HIV/AIDS transmission from needle use; data collection and analysis standards; cooperation between states in supply reduction; controlling the flow of precursor chemicals; developing further and using more effectively practices found to reduce supply and demand; and methods of infrastructural development to make alternatives to drug crop cultivation viable for poor farmers.
	Examples of practical work by the Government and its agencies include the provision of projects to develop new livelihoods for farmers in drug producing areas. The Serious and Organised Crime Agency, working with law enforcement agencies and other bodies in the UK and abroad, has contributed to 85 tonnes of cocaine seizures in the past year and we have seen a decline in reported street level purity of cocaine in this country.

Drugs: Misuse

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on what date he first discussed with Professor David Nutt his concerns about Professor Nutt's public statements on the Government's policy on drugs;
	(2)  what his policy is on whether the  (a) Chairman and  (b) members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs may comment in public on the Government's policy on drugs;
	(3)  what the  (a) job description and  (b) remit is of (i) the Chairman and (ii) the members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs;
	(4)  whether the actions of the Chairman and members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are governed by a code of conduct.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The then Home Secretary explained in Parliament, on 9 February 2009, that she had had a telephone conversation that morning with Professor Nutt in which she made it clear that she felt that his comments went beyond the scientific advice that she expected from him as chair of the ACMD. The then Home Secretary also wrote to Professor Nutt on 25 February 2009 and explained that
	it was not the role of the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to initiate public debate as to the appropriateness or otherwise of the Government's policy framework.
	It was explained that it is the role of the Home Secretary to make decisions based on all relevant factors as they relate to public protection and that the role of advisers is to provide advice based on the evidence. The duty of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is set out in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The job descriptions and remit of the chair and members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are set out, in accordance with the remit of the council as described in the Misuse of Drugs Act, in the applicants pack when applying for a position on the council.
	Guidelines for the chairman and members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, including those on speaking in public, are provided by the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees. In addition, the chair and members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are expected to comply with the council's own code of practice, which is based on the wider Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees.

Entry Clearances

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visas have been rescinded on the grounds that a spouse signed under duress or threat of violence; and what steps his Department takes against the perpetrators of such duress or violence.

Phil Woolas: I will write to the hon. Member.

Entry Clearances

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog in processing visa applications.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 10 November 2009
	The UK Border Agency aims to process all visa applications in line with published service standards. These are:
	To complete 90 per cent. of straightforward, non-settlement applications in not more than a week, 98 per cent. in not more than two weeks, and 100 per cent. in not more than 12 weeks.
	To complete 90 per cent. of non-straightforward, non-settlement applications in not more than three weeks, 98 per cent. in not more than six weeks and 100 per cent. in not more than 12 weeks.
	To complete 95 per cent. of applications for settlement visas in not more than 12 weeks and 100 per cent. in not more than 24 weeks.
	Performance against these targets is published monthly on our website at
	www.ukvisas.gov.uk
	There are no global backlogs. However, where circumstances arise that mean that we are unable to meet these targets in particular locations, we aim to take quick and effective action to improve performance and reduce any backlog that has built up. For example, we have recently deployed additional resources to our visa operation in Pakistan and aim to clear the current backlogs there by mid November.

Entry Clearances: China

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visa applications were received by the visa application centre in Beijing between January and September 2009; and how many entry clearance  (a) officers and  (b) managers are employed at the British Embassy in Beijing to work on such applications.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 9 November 2009
	A total of 29,025 student visa applications were received by the Visa Application centre in Beijing during the period January to September 2009. There are currently 14 Entry Clearance Officers and four Entry Clearance Managers working in the Visa Section in Beijing. They are supported by 34 locally engaged Entry Clearance Assistants. Entry clearance staff process a range of visa applications and not just those of a single type e.g. student visa applications.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students have switched from a Tier 4 visa to a Tier 2 visa since 2008.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals were lodged against refusal of visas for Pakistani nationals to visit the UK in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 16 September 2009
	I will write to the hon. Member.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department took in response to the report of visa handling in Pakistan written by senior immigration officer Chris Taylor in 2006.

Alan Johnson: It is the policy of successive Governments not to comment on internal reports which have been leaked to the press.

Fixed Penalties

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty fines  (a) have been issued and  (b) remain outstanding or not paid in (i) Ribble Valley parliamentary constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (ii) England in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 9 November 2009
	Information on the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for motoring offences in Lancashire and England and Wales is provided in the following table. The table does not show data for Ribble Valley constituency as the data reported to the Home Office are provided at police force area level only.
	Information on the number of FPNs which remain outstanding is not reported to the Home Office.
	Information showing the number of persons issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) and the outcome of those paid in the Lancashire police force area and in England and Wales, 2003-07 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. PNDs figures cannot be broken down below police force area, therefore information for figures for Ribble Valley constituency is not available.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	Data for Scotland must be taken up through the Scottish Executive and data for Northern Ireland must be taken up through the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			  Fixed penalty notices issued for all offences by offence group and police force area 
			   2003( 1)  2004( 1)  2005( 1)  2006  2007 
			 Lancashire 236,000 95,200 80,000 73,024 70,076 
			 England and Wales(2) 3,637,200 3,435,300 3,203,000 3,018,281 2,599,983 
			 (1) Years prior to 2007 and 2006, figures have been rounded. (2) Figures unable to be provided for UK, instead England and Wales data provided.

Forced Marriage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with  (a) ministerial colleagues,  (b) local authorities and  (c) others on forced marriages.

Alan Campbell: The information is as follows:
	 (a) I chair the quarterly Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence, which covers the issue of forced marriage, and also attend the Forced Marriage Multilateral meetings.
	These meetings bring together Ministers from Departments across Government, such as the Ministry of Justice; the Department for Children, Schools and Families; the UK Border Agency; the Department of Health; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and the Department of Communities and Local Government.
	(b) The Home Office chairs quarterly meetings with the Government office leads on interpersonal violence. Forced marriage is a standing item on the agenda and information from these meetings is disseminated to practitioners within the regions on a local level, including local authorities.
	The Forced Marriage Unit also runs a substantial national outreach and training programme, speaking at over 90 events each year to community groups, statutory agencies, including local authorities, and the voluntary sector.
	 (c) The Forced Marriage Unit chairs quarterly round table meetings on forced marriage, which unite statutory and voluntary agencies to discuss ways to tackle the issue.

Forced Marriage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department has allocated to tackling forced marriages in 2009-10.

Alan Campbell: In the financial year 2009-10, the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office jointly fund the Forced Marriage Unit £278,000 to provide some of the following key services:
	free and confidential advice and support to victims, concerned third parties and professionals, on the potential dangers of being forced into marriage
	an extensive outreach programme to raise awareness of the issue
	providing consular assistance ranging from action through the UK courts to rescue missions and immigration assistance in reluctant sponsor cases, where a victim of forced marriage is being pressured into sponsoring their spouse's visa for entrance into the UK
	the Domestic Programme Fund which supports local projects tackling forced marriage
	Funding of £31,250 has also been provided to the FMU for the development of the multi-agency Forced Marriage Practice Guidelines, released in July 2009, which should help practitioners work more closely together to better identify and protect children and adults at risk of forced marriage.
	The Home Office also allocated a total of £3.5 million to the nine Government Offices for the regions and the Home Office Crime Team in Wales for 2009-10 to support local initiatives to tackle domestic violence. A number of regions have chosen to allocate specific funding to local initiatives tackling forced marriage in their areas.

Forced Marriage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of forced marriages.

Alan Campbell: The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) launched a new two-year action plan for 2009 and 2010 earlier this year with the following key objectives:
	To strengthen safeguards in order to ensure that all victims of forced marriage receive sympathetic, effective and joined up support from all relevant UK agencies; and
	To eliminate forced marriage in the UK by challenging the practice before it takes place, through working with communities, victims and Governments to overcome the culture of acceptance or of denial.
	To support this work, the FMU have launched the following initiatives;
	The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 was implemented on 25 November 2008 with statutory guidance and offers civil remedies to victims or potential victims of forced marriage. The Act allows the court the power to make Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPO) which can be used to prevent forced marriages occurring or to protect victims who have already been forced into marriage.
	New guidelines in March to ensure UKBA staff taking entry clearance decisions have the tools to identify any risk of abuse such as where a person may be vulnerable to a forced marriage. Where that is present we will make clear what the rights of victims are and how the marriage visa will be dealt with.
	New practice guidelines (July) for frontline professionals to help them to work more closely together and better identify and protect children and adults at risk of forced marriage.
	A Forced Marriage Guide for MPs (July), which gives MPs information on forced marriage and the steps they should take if they are approached by constituents, including how to handle immigration cases.
	The Domestic Programme Fund (June) which offers specialist organisations the opportunity to apply for funds for project activities which support delivery of the 2009-10 action plan.
	An e-learning training package is currently being developed to support the practice guidelines and further equip practitioners with the tools to respond to and support victims and potential victims of forced marriage.

Hizb ut-Tahrir

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Since January 2009, the Home Office has received one piece of correspondence requesting the proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir. We have also received one parliamentary question relating specifically to Hizb ut-Tahrir, and I refer the hon. Member to 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 13WA.
	Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism. Decisions on proscription must be proportionate and based on evidence that a group is concerned in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000. Hizb ut-Tahrir, along with other organisations that cause us concern, is kept under continuous review. As and when new material comes to light it is considered and the organisation re-assessed as part of that process.

Human Trafficking

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested and charged with human trafficking offences were prosecuted in each of the last five years; how many of those cases resulted in  (a) a custodial sentence,  (b) a non-custodial penalty,  (c) the case being dropped due to a lack of evidence and  (d) the defendant being cleared of all charges; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: I will write to the hon. Member.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in respect of how many individuals of each nationality  (a) reasonable and  (b) conclusive grounds for having been trafficked have been determined under the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 347 nationals from 50 countries have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism in the period April to September. Of these there have been 190 positive reasonable grounds decisions, of people from 35 different countries.
	Of the 190 there have been 51 positive conclusive grounds decisions of people from 11 countries.

Identity Cards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether identity cards produced for issue to foreign nationals have been found to contain defective chips  (a) before and  (b) after issue.

Alan Johnson: A small number of chips (less than 0.5 per cent.) within identity cards for foreign nationals failed our stringent quality control procedures and were not issued as a result. No chips have been found to be defective after issue.

Identity Cards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for identity cards are expected to be received from British and Irish citizens in each of the next 12 months.

Alan Johnson: The Identity and Passport Service will be making a range of material available to inform the public about when British citizens will be able to apply for a national identity card. However, until we start issuing identity cards to members of the public later this year in Greater Manchester, it would be difficult to make any precise forecast of the number of people likely to take up the option of purchasing an identity card in the next 12 months.

Identity Cards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether British citizens will be able to apply for an identity card online.

Alan Johnson: It is currently not possible for British citizens to apply for an identity card online. At public launch, members of the public will be able to request an application pack from the direct Government website at:
	www.directgov.uk/identity
	or call the service centre on 0300 330 0901.
	We have a programme of ongoing development to create an online passport application, and we will be developing an online capability similar to the passport online application process for 2012.

Identity Cards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 184W, on identity cards, what action has been taken to inform employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) the Passport Service that they could apply for an identity card from 20 October 2009.

Alan Johnson: The information is as follows:
	 (a) A number of Home Office staff based in London whose work is connected to the implementation of National Identity Service, and are therefore able to apply for a card under the terms of the initial commencement order, have received an e-mail from the Identity and Passport Service, notifying them that they could apply for a national identity card as part of the operational trials.
	 (b) The Identity and Passport Service executive directors sent an e-mail to senior managers throughout the target areas (London, Merseyside and Durham) informing them of the start of operational trials and the option for staff to volunteer to apply for a card.
	At the same time a news item was also placed on the intranet informing all staff that they could apply for a card from 20 October, as part of the operational trials, which linked to the guidance on how to do so.

Identity Cards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 184W, on identity cards, on which date identity cards will be extended to residents of Greater Manchester and to airside workers at Manchester and London City airports.

Alan Johnson: A further commencement order under the Identity Cards Act 2006 will specify when certain residents of Greater Manchester and airside workers at Manchester and London City airports will be able to apply for an identity card. This will be notified to Parliament in the usual way.

Identity Cards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 184W, on identity cards, how many applications have been received from people working in  (a) his Department and  (b) the Identity and Passport Service.

Alan Johnson: The commencement order that came into force on 20 October allows for a limited number of IPS and Home Office staff as well as airport operator staff at Manchester and London City airports to be among the first to apply for identity cards. So far more than 1,000 people have volunteered to apply for an identity card.

Identity Cards

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the first annual report by the National Identity Scheme Commissioner is expected to be published.

Meg Hillier: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Identity Cards

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals who are not required to have a compulsory identity card have applied for a voluntary national identity card.

Meg Hillier: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Illegal Immigrants: France

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the French authorities on closure of illegal camps near Calais.

Phil Woolas: The UK and French Governments maintain regular contact in the area of immigration. I met with Eric Besson, the French Minister for Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Solidarity-based Development, at the UK-France Summit on 6 July 2009. Both Ministers committed to further action to combat illegal immigration, including through strengthening security at the shared border and taking resolute action to reduce the pull factors for illegal immigrants and criminal networks.
	The Home Secretary also met with Eric Besson at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on 21 September.
	Both Ministers stressed the importance of the joint UK-France commitment to combat illegal immigration in northern France, and the Home Secretary supported the French operation to close the illegal camps near Calais. The Home Secretary also reiterated the work being undertaken to strengthen not only the shared border, but that of Europe as a whole.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of offences of domestic violence against women with insecure immigration status.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress his Department has made on the review of conditional funding for non-UK national victims of domestic violence.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average number of women of insecure immigration status who are victims of domestic violence each year.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to assist women of insecure immigration status who are victims of domestic violence while their immigration status is being determined.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications there were under the Domestic Violence Rule in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; and what percentage of those applications were granted.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took to process applications made under the Domestic Violence Rule in 2008.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Employment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effect on domestic workers requiring a visa of the cost of visa renewal.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration Controls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many organisations have had their sponsorship licences revoked by the UK Border Agency.

Alan Johnson: 24 organisations had their sponsorship licences under the points based system revoked by the UK Border Agency up to 3 November 2009.

Immigration Controls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls the UK Border Agency card verification service has received in each of the last 12 months; and how many such calls resulted in the identification of a false card.

Alan Johnson: Since identity cards for foreign nationals went live on 25 November 2008 up until mid October 2009, 260 calls have been received by the card verification service broken down by month as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 November 2008 0 
			 December 2008 5 
			 January 2009 2 
			 February 2009 (1)- 
			 March 2009 (1)- 
			 April 2009 (1)- 
			 May 2009 5 
			 June 2009 24 
			 July 2009 46 
			 August 2009 46 
			 September 2009 78 
			 October 2009 (2)54 
			 Total 260 
			 (1) Unknown (2 )To date 
		
	
	None of these calls resulted in the identification of a false card. There are no figures for February, March, April 2009 because the verification service's management information system was not operating. However, by the end of April the system was repaired and is now able to accurately record figures.

Immigration Controls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many documents of each type submitted by applicants for a sponsor licence had been reported as lost on the latest date for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: There have been no recorded instances of documents supplied by sponsors as part of their application having been lost by the UK Border Agency.

Immigration Controls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sponsors under the points-based immigration system have been downgraded from an A to B rating in each of the last 36 months.

Alan Johnson: The number of sponsors downgraded under the points based immigration system from A to a B rating for each month that records have been kept is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 July 2009 18 
			 August 2009 25 
			 September 2009 9

Immigration Controls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times level  (a) 1 and  (b) 2 users of sponsorship management systems have been found to have disclosed their system access details to other people.

Alan Johnson: To date evidence shows that one college has breached the requirements for use of the sponsor management system. The college's sponsor licence has been revoked.

Immigration Controls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security breaches of the UK Border Agency sponsorship management system there have been; and what the cause was of each such security breach.

Alan Johnson: There have been no recorded instances of any security breaches of the sponsorship management system.

Immigration Controls: Ministers of Religion

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ministers of religion of each  (a) nationality and  (b) country of birth have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted permits under tier 2 of the points-based immigration system.

Alan Johnson: I will write to the hon. Member.

Immigration Controls: Ministers of Religion

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dependants of ministers of religion of each  (a) nationality and  (b) country of birth have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted permits under tier 2 of the points-based immigration system in each of the last 36 months.

Alan Johnson: I will write to the hon. Member.

Immigration: Pakistan and Afghanistan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from how many people from  (a) Pakistan and  (b) Afghanistan a visa for entry to the UK has been withdrawn (i) because the visa application was found to have been (A) fraudulently made and (B) accompanied by forged documents and (ii) for reasons of national security in the last 10 years.

Alan Johnson: Although we collect information on the number of visas revoked after they have been issued, we are unable to identify the specific data requested except at disproportionate cost.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what key performance indicators have been established for the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Meg Hillier: A number of KPIs and priorities are detailed within the ISA's Business Plan 2009-10. These include:
	Inform those entitled to know of a decision being made within one day
	60 per cent. of stakeholders say they are clear about the role of the ISA
	75 per cent. of complainants satisfied by the way the ISA handled the complaint
	85 per cent. of complaints resolved within 21 days
	All invoices paid within 30 days
	Downtime of casework IT system below 5 per cent
	Increase the rate of recruitment applications from minority groups by 10 per cent
	Caseworker development programme 95 per cent. attendance by operational staff
	80 per cent. of staff say they understand the values of the ISA
	90 per cent. of staff probation reports completed within six months
	Staff sickness average eight days per employee
	90 per cent. of staff return to work interviews undertaken within five days
	Staff turnover no more than 10 per cent.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of applications the Independent Safeguarding Authority will process in its first 12 months.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Interpreters: Finance

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the police have spent in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Essex on interpreters for (i) suspects, (ii) charged individuals and (iii) victims of crime who are unable to speak English in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: holding answer 3 November 2009
	The chief officers of each police force are responsible for making sure that appropriate arrangements are in place for provision of suitably qualified interpreters. This information is not collected centrally.

Licensing Laws

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for licences by a person who had previously held a licence were refused in each of the last three years because he or she had served alcohol to a person who was inebriated.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Aara Sadid.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 10 November 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Borders and Immigration expects to reply to the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire's letter concerning Mr. Peter Edmondson of Duffield, Derby, dated 16 June 2009, reference: PM/OP/Edmondson.

Phil Woolas: My officials wrote to the right hon. Member on 19 May 2009, in response to his letter of 30 April about this case. We have no record of receiving a further letter of 16 June on behalf of Mr. Peter Edmondson. We will be happy to look into the matter on receipt of a copy.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 24 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Adnan Khakoo.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 3 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Ejaz Haider.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 29 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Moudgal Sudhindra Gollahalli Venkatanarayaner.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 28 September 2009 on the case of Tuet Chun Teung, Ref: B35067/9.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Borders and Immigration will respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Canterbury of 20 May and 21 July 2009 on the gap entrant visa requirements.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Borders and Immigration will respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Canterbury of 15 June and 1 September 2009 on changes in visa requirements for academics.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 9 October 2009, on children in immigration detention centres.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 30 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Shafiq Ahmed.

Alan Johnson: It has not been possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 5 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Prisia Joy Kalua.

Alan Johnson: It has not been possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 29 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Frederick Opoku.

Alan Johnson: It has not been possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

National Identity Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer to Lord Stoddart of 14 October 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, columns 26-27WA, on the National Identity Register, how many fingerprints  (a) per person and  (b) in total he expects to be stored on the National Identity Register from 2012.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

National Identity Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to Lord Stoddart of 14 October 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, columns 26-27WA, on the National Identity Register, what estimate has been made of the number of citizens who will have their fingerprints stored on the National Identity Register by 2022.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

National Identity Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals are recorded on the National Identity Register.

Meg Hillier: It has not been possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

National Public Order Intelligence Unit

James Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition of extremist is used in respect of compiling data on the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU); what forms of evidence gathered by forward intelligence teams are retained by the NPOIU; how many individuals are identifiable by spotter cards on the NPOIU database; and how many individual names are recorded on the NPOIU database.

David Hanson: Domestic extremism refers to the crime and disorder committed by the small number of individuals and organised groups who are prepared to break the law in support of single-issue causes. It does not refer to views or opinions.
	The National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) collects information and intelligence so that the police can carry out threat and risk assessments to safeguard public safety, the right to peaceful protest, and to prevent crime and disorder. The data are also used to support the investigation of crimes that are carried out in furtherance of causes linked to protest activity.
	The collection of intelligence by NPOIU is carried out in compliance with the relevant legislation which sets out the method and purpose for its collection, retention and dissemination.
	Decisions to retain or dispose of information by the police service are carried out on a case by case basis, based on their assessment of the type and amount of information held on an individual and whether this is proportionate for policing purposes, and on risk-based decisions about public protection.
	The use of spotter cards by local forces is a matter for local Chief Officers. Owing to the manner in which data are stored on the NPOIU database, which includes, for example, open source material such as newspaper articles, it is not possible for the police to provide an exact figure on how many names are referenced on the database. Information kept on any individuals would be dealt with under a Subject Access Request made under the Data Protection Act.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place for the sharing of information on online images of child abuse with  (a) EU and  (b) non-EU countries.

Alan Campbell: The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is the reporting point for illegal images of child sexual abuse for the UK. If the reported images are found to be within the EU, the IWF will notify the relevant INHOPE Hotline in the country concerned, and will also inform the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). CEOP work closely with the Virtual Global Taskforce, and with the law enforcement agencies of other countries, to tackle such sites, and to arrest those responsible for them. If the country is outside the EU, but has an INHOPE hotline, the same process will apply.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service on the number of prosecutions for offences of viewing online images of child abuse which have not been pursued.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has not had any recent discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on this matter, but officials are in regular contact to ensure that where an issue arises it is addressed. The Government do not distinguish between images found on or offline, as the person is prosecuted for the offence, and not the medium through which that offence took place.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) guidance and  (b) training has been provided to the police on the relationship between viewing images of child abuse online and child abuse.

Alan Campbell: The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre offers a range of training courses for professionals (mainly police officers but also others who work in child protection) designed to do two things. Firstly, to help delegates better understand the nature of sexual offending and secondly to impart the skills and knowledge that can better equip professionals to deal with the difficult and distressing nature of this crime. Many of CEOP's training courses are based on material gathered during investigations, and case studies of sex offenders interviewed by CEOP's dedicated Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU). CEOP also offers operational consultancy through its BAU to forces and child protection agencies across the UK.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what proportion of his Department's budget has been allocated to tackling child abuse and the viewing of images of child abuse online in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The Government set up the Child Protection and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in 2006 to help protect children online. They have tackled both those who abuse children and those who are trading in images of such abuse. Since 2006 the Government have provided funding for the centre of:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 5.360 
			 2007-08 5.657 
			 2008-09 6.270 
			 2009-10 6.353 
		
	
	In addition, chief constables have their normal policing budget which they are able to use on the priorities for their forces. Any decision on funding or staffing for child protection activity is a matter for the chief constables for their area.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further research he plans to undertake on the relationship between viewing images of child abuse online and child abuse.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Offensive Weapons: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded crimes involving knives there were in the Milton Keynes area in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Parenting Orders

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many parenting orders have been issued in  (a) Doncaster,  (b) South Yorkshire and  (c) England since their introduction;
	(2)  if he will issue guidance to local authorities and the police recommending that a parenting order should automatically be attached to an anti-social behaviour order or acceptable behaviour contract which is applied to a person under the age of 18 living at home.

Alan Campbell: Parenting orders were piloted between 30 September 1998 and 31 March 2000 and commenced in England and Wales in June 2000.
	Data showing the breakdown by area for the period 30 September 1998 and 31 March 2000 are not available. The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has since April 2000 collected the number of parenting orders by youth offending team (YOT) area, as reported to it by youth offending teams including education-related orders where the YOT has been involved. Since September 2004, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has collected data on the number of parenting orders in England related to non-attendance of children at school and exclusion from school at local authority level.
	The number of parenting orders relating to crime or antisocial behaviour and those related to education as reported to the YJB in Doncaster YOT area; South Yorkshire; England, and England and Wales, are shown in the following table.
	Plans to legislate for mandatory parenting orders when 10 to 15-year-olds breach their ASBO are contained in the crime and policing Bill. The implementation of such legislation would require detailed guidance to be prepared in advance for all applicant authorities for parenting orders.
	
		
			  Parenting Orders by legal basis: Doncaster YOT, South Yorkshire, England and England and Wales 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			  Doncaster  
			 Crime 5 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 11 
			 Education 0 0 1 2 1 10 11 2 27 
			 Other 1 0 0 0 - - - - 1 
			 Referral Order - - - - 0 0 0 1 1 
			 ASBO - - - - 2 0 2 2 6 
			 Sex Offences Prevention Order - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Child Safety Order - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Free Standing-YOT - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Free Standing-LEA - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			  46 
			   
			  South Yorkshire  
			 Crime 11 8 13 20 9 8 10 11 90 
			 Education 0 9 8 16 10 22 22 22 109 
			 Other 11 0 0 0 - - - - 11 
			 Referral Order - - - - 0 0 0 1 1 
			 ASBO - - - - 2 0 4 2 8 
			 Sex Offences Prevention Order - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Child Safety Order - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Free Standing-YOT - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Free Standing-LEA - - - - 0 0 11 16 27 
			  246 
			   
			  England  
			 Crime 715 776 731 649 951 1036 994 1030 6882 
			 Education 95 255 207 211 232 210 166 229 1605 
			 Other 155 119 199 190 663 
			 Referral Order - - - - 169 179 223 286 857 
			 ASBO - - - - 35 32 63 44 174 
			 Sex Offences Prevention Order - - - - 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Child Safety Order - - - - 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Free Standing-YOT - - - - 6 7 14 8 35 
			 Free Standing-LEA - - - - 0 0 18 21 39 
			  10,257 
			  Note: Data for Education and Free Standing-LEA categories may not be complete, as YOTs are not always informed of these parenting orders

Passports

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to designate passports under the Identity Cards Act 2006.

Alan Johnson: The exact timetable for future legislation has yet to be decided, but it is intended that the existing provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006 will be amended by further primary legislation so that, from 2012, when fingerprint biometric passports are introduced, every adult who decides to apply for a British Passport will have the choice of being issued with a fingerprint biometric passport, a fingerprint biometric identity card or both documents-all on a voluntary basis.

Police: Administration

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the levels of administrative burden upon police forces.

David Hanson: Since the Policing Green Paper in 2008 the Government have taken significant steps to reduce administrative burdens. The new single top down target to increase public confidence has given frontline officers more scope to exercise their professional discretion-helping them to do the job the public expect of them, with less time taken up on administration.
	The review undertaken by the permanent secretary to the Home Office of the data requirements placed on the police service by the Home Office is on track to deliver a 50 per cent. reduction by March 2010. It included scrapping Activity Based Costing, freeing up the equivalent of approximately 150 extra officers and staff. In addition we have scrapped the lengthy stop and account form and are supporting forces to introduce more proportionate crime recording processes.
	Jan Berry's forthcoming report as the independent reducing bureaucracy advocate will make recommendations on the next steps for Government and police forces and authorities in reducing the administrative burden.
	In the spirit of reducing bureaucracy, the Government have no plans to survey forces further.

Police: East Midlands

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were per head of population in each police force area in the East Midlands in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Internet

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the development of the website maps.police.uk; what the budget for the website is for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and how many staff are employed to maintain the website.

David Hanson: The total cost of development was £230,700.
	There is an annual cost of £50,000 per year for 2009-10 and 2010-11 which covers web-hosting, maintenance and minor development work.
	There are no members of staff solely dedicated to maintain this system in either the National Policing Improvement Agency or police forces. The maintenance of this system is incorporated in day to day operations.

Police: Norfolk

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on policing in Norfolk in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Norfolk

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in Norfolk constabulary in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: North Yorkshire

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police and  (b) police community support officers there were in North Yorkshire in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Public Order Offences: Members

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any hon. Members have details about them recorded on the National Public Order Intelligence Unit database.

David Hanson: The Police Service does not disclose details of entries on intelligence databases except where a formal Subject Access Request is made under the Data Protection Act.

Radicalism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk to public safety posed by  (a) violent extremism,  (b) extremism perpetrated in the name of Islam,  (c) extremism perpetrated in the name of neo-Nazi and fascist causes and  (d) extremism claimed by others; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: holding answer 15 October 2009
	As set out in CONTEST, our counter-terrorism strategy published in March this year, the most significant threat we currently face to national security is international terrorism from Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda inspired groups.
	Prevent, our long term strategy to stop people becoming or supporting violent extremists is part of our response to this threat. More information on Prevent can be found at:
	http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/general/HO_Contest_strategy.pdf
	Alongside this work, the Government will continue to take action against any groups or individuals who promote or incite violence. The Government will also continue to challenge views which fall short of supporting violence and are within the law, but which reject and undermine our shared values and jeopardise community cohesion.

Shoplifting: Arrests

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests and  (b) subsequent convictions for offences of shoplifting there have been in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Shoplifting: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders received a police caution for shoplifting in each of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary basic command units in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Shotgun Passes

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British visitor's  (a) firearms and  (b) shotgun passes were issued in (i) England and Wales and (ii) Scotland in each of the last 10 years; and how many prosecutions for breach of conditions of issue of each type of pass were brought in each of those years.

Alan Campbell: Information relating to visitor permit applications granted for individuals and groups in England and Wales is published in an annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin, the latest of which can be found online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0509.pdf
	Relevant data for the period 1998 to 2005-06 (inclusive) and 2007-08 are reproduced in the following table. Due to the transition from in-force data collection systems to the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS), data for 2006-07 are not available centrally.
	No prosecutions at magistrates courts in England and Wales for Failing to comply with conditions under a visitor's permit under section 17(10) (b) of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 have been reported to the Ministry of Justice between 1998 and 2007. Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	Information with regard to Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government.
	
		
			  Visitors' permits: Applications granted for individuals and groups, firearms and shotguns, England and Wales, 1998 to 2007-08 
			  Number (rounded) 
			   On behalf of  Group applications 
			  Firearms   
			 1998 1,380 170 
			 1999 1,200 150 
			 2000 1,410 150 
			 2001 1,080 120 
			 2002-03 1,520 160 
			 2003-04 960 160 
			 2004-05 930 210 
			 2005-06 960 190 
			 2006-07(1) (2)- (2)- 
			 2007-08 1,950 40 
			
			  Shotguns   
			 1998 3,560 570 
			 1999 3,430 640 
			 2000 2,860 630 
			 2001 2,530 580 
			 2002-03 2,860 640 
			 2003-04 2,720 580 
			 2004-05 3,000 670 
			 2005-06 2,790 540 
			 2006-07(1) (2)- (2)- 
			 2007-08 6,470 230 
			 (1) Figures for 2006-07 are not available due to the transition from in-force data collection systems to the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS).  (2) Denotes figures not available.   Source:  Firearm Certificates in England and Wales 2007-08 (HOSB 05/09, Table 9).

Telephone Services

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is on call charge rates for hon. Members for use of a telephone hotline on behalf of their constituents; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office does not have a specific policy on call charges for hon. Members for use of and telephone helpline on behalf of constituents.
	To minimise the cost of calls made to Home Office hotlines wherever possible, we align our telephony services to the guidance and rules set out by Ofcom.
	We also work closely with the Central Office of Information (COI) which is the Government's centre of excellence for marketing and communications to ensure our telephone services are in line with industry standards and are aligned to the quality and service standards of other Government Departments.

Terrorism: Internet

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK-based websites have been closed down under the provisions of section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006 because they contained extremist material inciting terrorism.

Alan Johnson: I will write to the hon. Member.

UK Border Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of UK Border Agency staff have financial objectives as part of their performance management reviews; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The Home Office has a competency framework that sets out the skills needed for different types of job. The core competency framework consists of five core competencies one of which is financial management. Performance against the competency framework, including financial management where relevant, is assessed in appraisal of annual performance, applications for posts and promotion where relevant. The setting of individual objectives in performance management reviews is a matter for individual line managers and it is not possible for this reason to state the percentage of staff with financial objectives except at disproportionate costs.

UK Border Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency projects do not have  (a)a signed-off business case and  (b) an end date; and what the total budget is of such projects.

Alan Johnson: UKBA has 12 areas of activity it treats as programmes and projects within its corporate portfolio that currently support the UKBA business plan, change programme and wider Home Office initiatives.
	Out of the 12 programmes and projects, two do not yet have a signed-off business case. The two projects are in the process of developing their business cases and are due to go through financial and other approval processes in early 2010.
	All 12 programmes and projects have a planned end date.

UK Border Agency

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which 50 parliamentary constituencies the UK Border Agency received the highest number of enquiries regarding migration cases that are  (a) legacy cases,  (b) non-legacy cases and  (c) out-of-country visa applications ranked from highest to lowest in each of the last four years.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids were conducted in each region by UK Border Agency officials in 2008.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 10 November 2009
	It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff left  (a) the UK Border Agency in 2008 and  (b) its predecessors in each of the four preceeding years through (i) resignation, (ii) retirement, (iii) termination and (iv) redundancy.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 10 November 2009
	It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the UK Border Agency moved jobs within the agency in 2008.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 10 November 2009
	It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Border Agency: Consultants

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what projects have been carried out by consultants for the UK Border Agency in the last 12 months.

Alan Johnson: Consultants and contractors are employed on projects when required to complement and supplement civil servants. They provide skills and knowledge that are either highly specialist or not available within the Agency.
	UK Border Agency has 12 areas of activity it treats as programmes and projects within its corporate portfolio that currently support the agency business plan, change programme and wider Home Office initiatives. Of these all 12 have used consultants to support delivery as required.
	In making use of consultancy firms the United Kingdom Border Agency uses approved public sector procurement options including framework contracts provided by Buying Solutions, an Executive agency of the Office of Government Commerce in the Treasury, or other Government Departments when appropriate.
	Framework contracts are tailored to be subject matter specific allowing the United Kingdom Border Agency to source appropriately qualified and charged providers.

UK Border Agency: Contracts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts over the value of £5 million have been let by the UK Border Agency; and for what programmes each such contract was let.

Alan Johnson: Current contracts over the value of £5 million let by the UK Border Agency are as follows. This does not include expired or terminated contracts or contracts that are in procurement.
	
		
			  Source  Programme/Project/contract 
			 Border Force Haulage, Storage and Disposal of Excise Goods (from HMRC) 
			  Maintenance of five Existing Cutters (from HMRC) 
			  Supply and Maintenance of Mobile Scanners (from HMRC) 
			  Aerial Surveillance 
			  e-Borders 
			 Criminality and Detention Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) Operating Contract 
			  Harmondsworth IRC Rebuild 
			  Harmondsworth IRC Operating Contract 
			  Campsfield House IRC Operating Contract 
			  Colnbrook IRC Operating Contract 
			  Oakington Reception Centre Operating Contract 
			  Tinsley House IRC Operating Contract 
			  Dungavel House IRC Operating Contract 
			  Yarl's Wood IRC Operating Contract 
			  Ticketing Services for UKBA Removals 
			  Escorting - In Country, Overseas and Short Term Holding Facility (STHF) 
			  Port of Dover - STHF Contract 
			 Immigration Group Refugee Integration and Employment Services 
			  Fulfilment and Appointment Booking Services 
			  Assisted Voluntary Returns 
			  Contact Centre Services 
			  Payment Processing 
			  Case Resolution Department Administrative Function 
			  Target Contracts - Asylum Accommodation 
			  Gateway - Refugee Resettlement Programme 
			  Asylum - One Stop Services 
			  Transport Plus 
			  Cash Payment Contract 
			  Initial Accommodation - Associated Services 
			  Immigration Casework System Integrator Contract 
			 International Group Production of Visa Vignette Products 
			  Service Management of Biometrics Messaging System 
			  Visa Application Centres 
			 RMG Security Guards 
			  Various IT and Application Infrastructure Services 
			  Record Services Contract

UK Border Agency: Contracts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts for  (a) services outsourced by the UK Border Agency and  (b) and UK Border Agency IT systems valued at over £250,000 per year are due to (i) be re-let and (ii) end in the next four years.

Alan Johnson: The UK Border Agency has outsourced services across the organisation. The decision to re-let is primarily driven by the business need and priority, with the commercial strategy and procurement route determined subsequently.
	The approach to re-letting evaluation is made towards the end of each contract in light of business need and available procurement options.
	The UK Border Agency contracts for outsourced services which may be re-let are as follows:
	
		
			  Source  Programme/project/contract 
			 Border Force Haulage, Storage and Disposal of Excise Goods (from HMRC) 
			  Maintenance of five Existing Cutters (from HMRC) 
			  Supply and Maintenance of Mobile Scanners (from HMRC) 
			  Maintenance for Baggage X-Ray 
			  Maintenance of Legacy Mobile Freight Scanners 
			  Supply and Maintenance of Trace Detection Equipment 
			  Freight Searching Services 
			  Maintenance and Obsolescence Management Services of Passive Millimetric Wave Machine 
			  Relocation Services 
			   
			 Criminality and Detention Harmondsworth IRC Operating Contract 
			  Campsfield House IRC Operating Contract 
			  Colnbrook IRC Operating Contract 
			  Oakington Reception Centre Operating Contract 
			  Dungavel House IRC Operating Contract 
			  Yarl's Wood IRC Operating Contract 
			  Ticketing Services for UKBA Removals 
			  Escorting-In Country, Overseas and Short Term Holding Facility (STHF) 
			  Port of Dover-STHF Contract 
			  Port of Harwich-STHF Contract 
			   
			 Immigration Group Refugee Integration and Employment Services 
			  Fulfilment and Appointment Booking Services 
			  Facilitated Returns Scheme for Foreign National Prisoners 
			  Assisted Voluntary Returns 
			  Contact Centre Services 
			  Payment Processing 
			  Secure Documents 
			  Transportation of Presenting Officers 
			  Case Resolution Department Administrative Function 
			  Target Contracts-Asylum Accommodation 
			  Gateway-Refugee Resettlement Programme 
			  Asylum-One Stop Services 
			  Transport Plus 
			  Cash Payment Contract 
			  Initial Accommodation-Associated Services 
			  Immigration Case Work System Integrator Contract 
			   
			 International Group Production of Visa Vignette Products 
			  Service Management of Biometrics Messaging System 
			  Visa Application Centres 
			   
			 RMG Security Guards 
			  Provision of Arrest Team Equipment and Training 
			  Provision of Conflict Training 
			  Leadership and Management Development 
			  Various IT and Application Infrastructure Services 
			  Maintenance of Electronic Security Systems 
			  Record Services Contract 
			   
			 HR Occupational Health Services

UK Border Agency: Contracts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what UK Border Agency services for  (a) IT,  (b) human resources,  (c) communications,  (d) building and  (e) finance and payroll services are provided (i) in-house and (ii) outsourced.

Alan Johnson: The UK Border Agency's corporate services are provided through a range of outsourced and in-house arrangements. Details of these are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   In-house  Outsourced 
			 IT The UK Border Agency commissions IT services through shared services arrangements and manages the development of specialised applications by external providers. Most IT services are provided through contracts with private sector suppliers managed by Home Office shared services. E-Borders services are also outsourced but managed directly by the Border Agency. The agency also receives some services from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and FCO, again on the basis of outsourced services. 
			 Human Resources HR services are provided in-house via a combination of UKBA and Home Office HR services. Some recruitment campaigns are outsourced to third party suppliers under the supervision of HR. Transactional HR services are provided through Home Office shared services. IT requirements are outsourced. HR transactional services are provided through the HM Prison Service Shared Services Centre and payroll services through the Home Office Pay and Pensions Service. 
			 Communications The UK Border Agency uses a mix of in-house and bought in communications support and keeps the mix under review to ensure value for money. The following are largely provided in-house: staff communications, press and media relations, planning, stakeholder information, web content and visits. Elements of the following are contracted out where appropriate: design, events and marketing/customer information. The following services are mainly delivered externally; advertising, printing, web development and insight. 
			 Estates services The UK Border Agency commissions estates services through shared services arrangements. Estates services, including buildings maintenance, are provided through Home Office shared services, on the basis of a number of outsourced construction and facilities management contracts. Some estates services are also provided by the FCO and HMRC estates functions, again on the basis of outsourced contracts. 
			 Finance In-house finance services ensure the purchase to pay process is adhered to, from the initial creation of the requisition, to the payment of the invoices by Shared Service Centre. Receipting of goods and services to ensure that payments are made within suppliers' payment terms and conditions and within the prompt payment framework. Provision of monthly financial management and workforce planning information and reports for internal UKBA and wider Home Office. In-house services procure goods and services using the Government Procurement Card and perform monthly reconciliation's of statements. Transactional finance services are provided through Home Office shared services. IT requirements are outsourced to a private sector provider, and transactional services are provided through the HM Prison Service Shared Services Centre. 
			 Payroll services The UK Border Agency commissions payroll services through shared services arrangements provided by the Home Office. Payroll services are provided through the Home Office Pay and Pensions Service. IT requirements are outsourced.

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff there were at each grade in the UK Border Agency on the latest date for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 has, since it came into force on 29 February 2008, allowed the UK Border Agency to issue civil penalties of up to £10,000 per worker to employers who are found to be liable for employing illegal migrant workers.
	Internal management information shows that for the period 29 February 2008 to 19 October 2009, no civil penalties have been issued to public bodies. 3,164 penalties have been issued to employers and 1,301 remain unpaid.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

UK Border Agency: Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone calls the UK Border Agency helpline has received in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Border Agency: Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what periods of time the UK Border Agency helpline has been out of order in the last 12 months; and what the estimate is of the number of calls that were not answered as a result.

Phil Woolas: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Vetting: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people under the age of 18 years have been the subject of a Criminal Records Bureau check in each year since 2002.

Meg Hillier: The total volume of applications made for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks by people under the age of 18 since the Bureau's inception in 2002 is 730,164.

Warehouse Parties: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal raves have taken place in the Milton Keynes local authority area in each of the last five years; and how many  (a) crimes and  (b) accidents were reported in conjunction with such events.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Wriiten Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to answer Question 295742, on stolen vehicles, tabled on 21 October 2009.

Alan Campbell: I replied to the hon. Lady on 10 November 2009,  Official Report, column 340W.

Wriiten Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to respond to Question 295744, on tracking devices, tabled on 21 October 2009 for answer on 26 October.

Alan Campbell: I replied to the hon. Lady on 10 November 2009,  Official Report, column 334W.

Wriiten Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to answer Question 295745, on car parking, tabled on 21 October 2009.

Alan Campbell: I replied to the hon. Lady on 10 November 2009,  Official Report, column 335W.

Young Offenders: Alcoholic Drinks

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 18 years have been arrested for alcohol-related acts of disorder or violence in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Young Offenders: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of each category were committed by young people aged  (a) under 16 and  (b) between 16 and 18 years in the Milton Keynes local authority area in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Young Offenders: Sexual Offences

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were subject to indefinite notification requirements for sexual offences committed when they were under the age of 18 years in each year since 2000.

Alan Johnson: The information requested can be proved only at disproportionate cost.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Building Schools for the Future

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what involvement there has been of parents of children with disabilities or special educational needs in reviewing the criteria for school newbuilds under Building Schools for the Future.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Building Schools for the Future

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will consider using independent disability experts to review and monitor current and future Building Schools for the Future new build proposals.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Building Schools for the Future

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with Partnership for Schools on the effectiveness of his Department's guidance for adaptations for children with disabilities and special educational needs in implementation of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Building Schools for the Future

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with disability groups nationally on their input to school design and access issues under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Building Schools for the Future

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school new build proposals under the Building Schools for the Future programme have been subject to revision to take account of design and access issues for children with disabilities and special educational needs.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have received no funding under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Child Protection Orders

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children who were the subject of legal proceedings were the subject of child protection orders on the latest date for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what directives have been given to staff of the London areas of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service on attending local authority planning meetings in respect of care proceedings.

Dawn Primarolo: In July 2009 the President of the Family Division, Sir Mark Potter, issued Interim Guidance to the family courts about the handling of cases, including care proceedings To reflect this, CAFCASS has issued revised Operating Priorities for the period covered by the Interim Guidance (October 2009 to March 2010) to all its staff. In London, guidance has been issued to staff in support of the President's Interim Guidance and the London Family Courts Guidance, issued in October 2009 by the London Designated Family Judge, Mr. Justice Altman. In line with previous practice, the guidance states that
	Guardians are not expected to attend all Local Authority meetings.
	A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Libraries.

Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has allocated to the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service in each of the last three years; and for what purposes.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the budget of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service was in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: CAFCASS's budget for 2007/08 was £107,133,000. On top of this, CAFCASS received funding for additional activities, namely £80,000 for ContactPoint and £1,500,000 for Family Contact Services.
	CAFCASS funding was set for three years as part of the comprehensive spending review 2007 for 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11. Re-profiling of this budget has since taken place to reflect the high level of demand, particularly in public law cases. CAFCASS overall budget for the three year CSR period has not changed as a result of this re-profiling. In 2009/10 CAFCASS have received an additional £2.54 million to strengthen their capacity to offer support to children who are the subject of care proceedings. This includes £1.6 million for the London region where demand has been highest. In 2008/09 and 2009/10 CAFCASS received funding for additional activities as well, namely ContactPoint and Family Contact Services.
	
		
			  CAFCASS funding CSR 2007 
			   2008/09  2009/10  2010/11 
			 CSR Allocation 114,855,000 124,094,000 132,822,000 
			 Reprofiling 3,600,000 1,000,000 -4,600,000 
			 Additional Allocation - 2,540,000 - 
			 
			 Annual Budget Total 118,455,000 127,634,000 128,222,000 
			 Contact Point 210,000 520,000 - 
			 Family Contact Services 2,300,000 2,000,000 -

Children in Care

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in each of the last five years have been taken into alternative care as a result of an assessment of the level of their parents' income.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 185W.

Children in Care

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the likely effect on expenditure of local authorities in England of any increase in the number of children removed from families for their own safety or welfare.

Dawn Primarolo: Local circumstances vary substantially and local authorities with their Children's Trust partners are best placed to judge how best to allocate resources to ensure all children receive the protection they need.
	In May 2009, the Government announced £57.8 million new investment to support The protection of children in England: action plan-The Government's response to Lord Laming, as part of a wider £130 million package to support social work reform. This investment will help increase the capacity of the system to respond to demands. In addition, expenditure on looked-after children increased by 44 per cent. in real terms between 2000-01 and 2007-08. During this period, the number of children looked after remained broadly stable.
	The Government are monitoring the number of care order applications and other indicators carefully and working with local government partners to monitor the implications for local children's services.

Children in Care: Remand in Custody

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many former relevant children, as defined in the Government's guidance on Children (Leaving Care), there are in custody.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is responsible for provision for care leavers.
	A 'former relevant child' is a young person aged 18+ (i.e. legally adult) who was either a looked-after child before reaching legal adulthood or a child who had left care after the age of 16 but before the age of 18, who would be entitled to continuing leaving care support from their responsible local authority.
	The following link is to the Statistical First Release Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2009:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000878/index.shtml
	Table G1 shows the accommodation outcomes of care leavers now aged 19 years old and who were looked after in their 17(th) year and provides information about those who were in custody. This table can be found in the first excel link labelled (England Summary tables, included within PDF file).

Children: Carers

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many households in North East Milton Keynes constituency a child under the age of 18 fulfils the role of a carer for a disabled parent.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Day Care

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained nurseries have closed in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Day Care

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) children's centres and  (b) Sure Start centres have closed in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Day Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of registered childminders were  (a) male and  (b) female in each local authority area in the South East in each year since 1997.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many kinship care foster placements broke down in each local authority in England in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 9 November 2009
	Information on the number of family or friend foster placements which ended, resulting in a change of placement during the year by local authority can be found in the table.
	The reason for a change of placement is not collected centrally and so we cannot distinguish between planned placement moves and placement breakdowns.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of family or friend foster placement changes, during the year, by  local a uthority( 1)  y ear ending 31 March 2009  c overage: England 
			   Number of placement changes 
			  England 1,900 
			   
			  North East 110 
			 Darlington 10 
			 Durham 25 
			 Gateshead 5 
			 Hartlepool 5 
			 Middlesbrough 5 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 5 
			 North Tyneside - 
			 Northumberland - 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 10 
			 South Tyneside 5 
			 Stockton-On-Tees 10 
			 Sunderland 20 
			   
			  North West 430 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 15 
			 Blackpool 10 
			 Bolton 25 
			 Bury 25 
			 Cheshire 30 
			 Cumbria 10 
			 Halton - 
			 Knowsley 10 
			 Lancashire 35 
			 Liverpool 35 
			 Manchester 60 
			 Oldham - 
			 Rochdale 15 
			 Salford 10 
			 Sefton 20 
			 St. Helens - 
			 Stockport 15 
			 Tameside 15 
			 Trafford 15 
			 Warrington 15 
			 Wigan 35 
			 Wirral 30 
			   
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 220 
			 Barnsley 5 
			 Bradford 35 
			 Calderdale 15 
			 Doncaster 15 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 5 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 20 
			 Kirklees 10 
			 Leeds 50 
			 North East Lincolnshire 5 
			 North Lincolnshire - 
			 North Yorkshire 10 
			 Rotherham 25 
			 Sheffield 10 
			 Wakefield - 
			 York - 
			   
			  East Midlands 100 
			 Derby 20 
			 Derbyshire - 
			 Leicester 20 
			 Leicestershire 10 
			 Lincolnshire 10 
			 Northamptonshire 15 
			 Nottingham 15 
			 Nottinghamshire 10 
			 Rutland 0 
			   
			  West Midlands 220 
			 Birmingham 70 
			 Coventry 25 
			 Dudley 15 
			 Herefordshire 0 
			 Sandwell 10 
			 Shropshire - 
			 Solihull 5 
			 Staffordshire 20 
			 Stoke-On-Trent 15 
			 Telford and Wrekin - 
			 Walsall 20 
			 Warwickshire 10 
			 Wolverhampton 10 
			 Worcestershire 15 
			   
			  East of England 140 
			 Bedfordshire 5 
			 Cambridgeshire - 
			 Essex 50 
			 Hertfordshire 35 
			 Luton 15 
			 Norfolk 10 
			 Peterborough - 
			 Southend-on-Sea - 
			 Suffolk 10 
			 Thurrock - 
			   
			  London 290 
			 Inner London 150 
			 Camden 15 
			 City Of London 0 
			 Hackney 10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 
			 Haringey 10 
			 Islington 10 
			 Kensington and Chelsea - 
			 Lambeth 20 
			 Lewisham 10 
			 Newham 10 
			 Southwark 15 
			 Tower Hamlets 5 
			 Wandsworth 15 
			 Westminster 10 
			   
			  Outer London 150 
			 Barking and Dagenham - 
			 Barnet 15 
			 Bexley - 
			 Brent 30 
			 Bromley - 
			 Croydon 10 
			 Ealing 10 
			 Enfield 10 
			 Greenwich 10 
			 Harrow - 
			 Havering 10 
			 Hillingdon - 
			 Hounslow 5 
			 Kingston Upon Thames - 
			 Merton 5 
			 Redbridge - 
			 Richmond Upon Thames - 
			 Sutton - 
			 Waltham Forest 5 
			   
			  South East 220 
			 Bracknell Forest 5 
			 Brighton and Hove - 
			 Buckinghamshire - 
			 East Sussex 15 
			 Hampshire 70 
			 Isle Of Wight 10 
			 Kent 15 
			 Medway Towns 5 
			 Milton Keynes - 
			 Oxfordshire 25 
			 Portsmouth 10 
			 Reading - 
			 Slough - 
			 Southampton 10 
			 Surrey 25 
			 West Berkshire 0 
			 West Sussex - 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead - 
			 Wokingham - 
			   
			  South West 150 
			 Bath and North East Somerset - 
			 Bournemouth - 
			 Bristol, City of 20 
			 Cornwall 10 
			 Devon 20 
			 Dorset 10 
			 Gloucestershire 25 
			 Isles Of Scilly 0 
			 North Somerset 10 
			 Plymouth 10 
			 Poole - 
			 Somerset 10 
			 South Gloucestershire 5 
			 Swindon - 
			 Torbay - 
			 Wiltshire 15 
			 (1) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term replacements.

Children: Housing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on whether funding allocated to his Department is to be allocated to the Department for Communities and Local Government to help implement the housing policies announced in the Draft Legislative Programme for 2009-10.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Learning Disabilities

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children resident in  (a) England,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency have been diagnosed with a learning disability in each year since 1997.

Diana Johnson: Information about pupils' type of special educational need was first collected in the school census in 2004. Of the 12 types of need identified, four specifically mention learning difficulties and are listed in the following table which contains the number of resident pupils with learning difficulties.
	
		
			  Number of resident pupils( 1)  with learning difficulties 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  England   
			 Moderate Learning Difficulty 168,770 169,950 171,520 170,000 171,010 170,770 
			 Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty 7,500 7,980 8,250 8,600 8,990 9,330 
			 Severe Learning Difficulty 31,110 30,800 30,280 29,880 28,910 28,650 
			 Specific Learning Difficulty 82,530 82,710 77,560 76,410 76,670 78,130 
			 Total 289,910 291,430 287,610 284,890 285,590 286,880 
			
			  Teesside   
			 Moderate Learning Difficulty 3,230 3,120 2,960 2,880 2,770 2,580 
			 Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty 140 150 150 150 150 140 
			 Severe Learning Difficulty 510 490 480 470 470 460 
			 Specific Learning Difficulty 1,580 1,600 1,480 1,540 1,520 1,450 
			 Total 5,470 5,350 5,080 5,050 4,910 4,640 
			
			  Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland   
			 Moderate Learning Difficulty 500 450 440 420 400 360 
			 Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty 20 20 30 30 30 20 
			 Severe Learning Difficulty 80 70 70 80 80 10 
			 Specific Learning Difficulty 340 340 350 330 320 310 
			 Total 940 880 900 860 830 700 
			 (1) Information on primary need is only collected for pupils at School Action Plus and those with a statement of SEN.  Source: School Census.

Children: Missing Persons

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department is making in the implementation in the UK of the European telephone number for missing children; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Protection

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the contribution of the Minister for Children of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 214-17WH, on safeguarding children, when he plans to engage in dialogue on those matters; and when the Minister for Children plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Totnes of 21 October 2009 on a proposed meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking of Women and Children.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 107W, on children: protection, on what ground each of the 34 appeals was upheld.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Special Educational Needs

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was allocated to schools in the current academic year for children with special needs in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Coram

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the concurrent planning scheme developed by Coram; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 9 November 2009
	Coram's concurrent planning scheme has been independently evaluated by Elizabeth Monck, Jill Reynolds and Valerie Wigfall. This evaluation was published, by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, as 'The Role of Concurrent Planning: Making permanent placements for young children'. The Government recognise the value of concurrent planning for the group of children it has the potential to benefit.

Data: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) his Department and  (b) schools of collecting and providing data collected centrally in the last year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Day Care: Slough

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on the number of companies in the Slough parliamentary constituency which provide childcare facilities.

Dawn Primarolo: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the ownership of childcare provision in England. The survey does not have information at local authority level. The 2008 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey found that, of all childcare providers (i.e. full day care, full day care in children's centres, sessional and out of school provision) in the South East, 2,700 were privately owned.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The number of flights undertaken within Great Britain by officials during April 2008 and March 2009 was 335 at a cost of £70,356.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Annual Reports

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to Annex A of his Department's Annual Report 2009, pages 214-15, which programmes and allocations have been aggregated under the categories  (a) Support for Youth and  (b) Support for Children and Families.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff in his Department and its predecessor were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much was spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Manpower

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many officials were employed by his Department in each month since July 2007.

Diana Johnson: Employee information (on a total headcount and full-time equivalent basis) for the Department is published regularly on the Office for National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk= 2899Pos=ColRank=1Rank=422

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department in 2008-09.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of postal services for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007. Since 28 June 2007, all post has been delivered by Royal Mail either directly or via Prolog, the Department's publications storage and distribution provider. We are unable to provide similar information for agencies.

Departmental Postal Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with which providers his Department had a contract to provide postal services in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and  (d) since 1 July 2009.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which Minister in his Department has been assigned responsibility for overseeing the delivery of value for money in his Department; whether his Department has established a public sector reform team to implement service reforms; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: My hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Ms Diana R. Johnson), the Under-Secretary of State for schools has taken on responsibility for the Department's value for money (VfM) remit, which will include oversight of our CSR07 VfM programme and the additional operational efficiency programme (OEP) efficiencies agreed at Budget 2009.
	Both of these programmes are managed by a value for money team who co-ordinate activity across the Department, throughout its NDPBs and within the sectors in which they operate.
	Progress towards targets set for the CSR07 efficiency programme and the operational efficiency programme (OEP) will be stated in the 2009 autumn performance report in December 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2009,  Official Report, columns 1937-38W, on schools: finance, which individual programmes and corresponding allocations were aggregated under the items listed in the answer as  (a) literacy and numeracy, central driving and  (b) curriculum.

Diana Johnson: Further to the information provided on 9 September 2009, a more detailed breakdown of the Literacy and Numeracy, Central Driving and Curriculum programmes is provided as follows.
	
		
			  Departmental report allocation 
			  (a) Literacy and Numeracy, Central driving  £000 
			 Central Development 10,000 
			 National Strategies 278,553 
			 Making Good Progress 316,060 
			 Personalised learning 50,000 
			 Literacy  numeracy, central driving, total 654,613 
			  Notes:  1. Central Development  This predominantly supports new policies for the White paper: Your child, your schools, our future-building a 21st century school system. Smaller elements cover the School Standards Advisor's team and continuance of research programmes.  2. Making Good Progress  This is a programme of one to one tuition to assist children who are falling behind. It supports 300,000 pupils for English and another 300,000 for maths.  3. Personalised learning  This programme underpins the Assessment for Learning Strategy which aims to embed best practice in assessment for learning. It is supported by the effective use of Assessing Pupils' Progress materials, in every classroom. 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Curriculum  
			 Primary Curriculum Review 9,000 
			 PSHE/Citizenship 2,914 
			 Children  Young People's Culture 105,316 
			 Curriculum Policy 1,500 
			 Languages  Geography 55,000 
			 Science Technology Engineering  Maths 53,116 
			 Curriculum - Other 2,675 
			 Healthy schools 2,720 
			 Curriculum total 232,241 
			  Notes:  1. Children and Young People's Culture  This funds a range of projects (including Sing Up, Find Your Talent and Music Partnership Projects) ensuring pupils have quality experiences in arts and culture.  2. Languages and Geography  This supports the implementation of the National Languages Strategy: to improve teaching and learning and on widening participation.  The Action Plan for Geography promotes this subject as one relevant to the 21st century, and supports teachers to enable pupils' success.  3. Science Technology Engineering and Maths  The science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) programme aims to improve attainment and engagement in science subjects. This programme also aims to provide skills suitable for the workplace and employers.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department is published.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Departmental Travel

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors spent on  (a) car hire,  (b) train travel,  (c) hotels and  (d) restaurant meals for (i) Ministers and (ii) staff in his Department in each of the last five years.

Diana Johnson: The data requested were for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). DCSF was established under the machinery of Government changes on 28 June 2007, therefore the response covers its predecessor the Department for Education and Skills (DFES).
	Spend for Rail Travel and Hotels is inclusive for both Ministers and Staff and is shown in the following table for each of the last five years. Car Hire costs for Ministers and Staff are shown separately.
	The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) supply car hire for Ministers they are only able to supply data for the latest financial year 2008/2009. Data for earlier years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	Restaurant meals for Ministers and Staff within the DCSF cannot easily be extracted. Accounting records are not readily available and the information required to obtain data at this level of detail for a five year period would incur disproportionate costs.
	Expenditure, however, has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of 'Managing Public Money' and the Treasury handbook on 'Regularity and Propriety'.
	
		
			  Financial years  Car hire  Train travel  Hotels  Ministerial car hire 
			 2005 135,663 7,600,205 1,161,915 (1)- 
			 2006 118,340 4,882,187 1,039,714 (1)- 
			 2007 74,692 4,860,154 1,006,349 (1)- 
			 2008 96,498 5,115,201 1,191,780 (1)- 
			 2009 193,122 5,620,264 1,510,651 360,900 
			 (1) = Not known.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department and its predecessors travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Diana Johnson: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will review the terms of the education maintenance allowance to take into account the circumstances of households with triplets in 14 to 19 education.

Iain Wright: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The number of children in a household is not taken into account during the income assessment for the Education Maintenance Allowance and we do not currently have plans to change this policy.
	Other mechanisms exist to help with the costs of supporting young people aged 16 to 19 in learning. Child Benefit provides support for parents regardless of income, and Tax Credits are designed to tailor support to current circumstances and to be responsive to changing needs. Child Tax Credits also offer increased support for families with more children.
	In addition to the support provided to families, discretionary learner support funds are made available via the Learning and Skills Council to colleges and local authorities. This funding is provided to enable schools and colleges, using their discretion, to help individual learners who may otherwise experience financial hardship or barriers to continuing in learning.

Education: Young Offender Institutions

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many hours of education  (a) juvenile and  (b) young female offenders received on average per week in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Figures collected by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Youth Justice Board (YJB) for September 2008 to August 2009 indicate that in Prison Service YOIs, young people in juvenile YOI accommodation received an average of 27.5 hours per person per week of education, training and personal development. The data also indicate that young female offenders in juvenile Prison Service YOIs received an average of 30.1 hours of education, training and personal development activity per person per week during the same period. These figures encompass a range of education and constructive activities. From October NOMS have implemented new data collection systems which, along with data returns from the LSC will allow greater accuracy and detail in reporting on education, training and constructive activities in the future.
	The YJB report that in private YOIs, young people received an average of 33.9 hours of education, training and personal development activity per week during August 2008 to September 2009. Female offenders are not currently held in private YOIs.
	In Secure Children's Homes (SCHs) and Secure Training Centres (STCs) the YJB report against the number of young people who received a minimum of 30 hours of provision per week. Data indicate that between September 2008 and August 2009, 91.3 per cent. of young people in SCHs received a minimum of 30 hours of provision and in STCs this was 99 per cent. of young people. The YJB do not collect the information broken down by gender in STCs and SCHs.

Education: Young Offender Institutions

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what targets his Department has set for the educational  (a) provision and  (b) performance of young offender institutions; and what progress has been made towards meetings these targets.

Vernon Coaker: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) commissions the National Offender Management Service to deliver 25 hours of education, training and personal development to each young person per week in Prison Service YOIs. This includes education and training delivered by Learning and Skills Council providers, as well as training and personal development activities provided or commissioned by the Prison Service.
	Figures for September 2008 to August 2009 indicate that in Prison Service YOIs, young people in juvenile YOI accommodation received an average of 27.5 hours per person per week of education, training and personal development. These figures encompass a range of education and constructive activities. From October NOMS have implemented new data collection systems which, along with data returns from the LSC, will allow greater accuracy and detail in reporting on education, training and constructive activities in the future.
	For young people in private YOIs, YJB data shows that young people received an average of 33.9 hours of education, training and personal development activity per week during August 2008 to September 2009.
	For young people in Secure Children's Homes (SCHs) and Secure Training Centres (STCs) the YJB require that 90 per cent. of young people receive a minimum of 30 hours of education, training and personal development activity per week. The YJB figures available indicate that between September 2008 and August 2009, 91.3 per cent. of young people in SCHs received a minimum of 30 hours of provision and in STCs this was 99 per cent. of young people.

Educational Visits: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assistance his Department provides to the children of low-income families to enable them to participate in  (a) school trips and  (b) other extra-curricular activities.

Diana Johnson: As part of the over £1 billion funding the Government are making available to support extended services in 2008-09 to 2010-11, over £200 million is available specifically to help schools provide and commission a range of activities for children and young people. The Children's Plan contained the commitment that:
	This funding will help subsidise access to these opportunities by disadvantaged children, young people and children in care, who through their economic circumstances would otherwise be unable to participate. The funding will give schools the confidence to focus on providing what would most benefit children and young people, not just limited to what they can afford to pay for.
	We are running a pathfinder with over 400 schools in 18 LAs. This started in September 2008 and has been successful in helping schools identify children who are unable to participate in activities, including trips, because of cost.

Faith Schools: Curriculum

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether faith schools will be able to choose study materials to enable them to teach the new personal, social, health and economic education within the tenets of their faith.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Faith Schools: Islam

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what all-Muslim girls boarding schools there are in England; and how many pupils each has;
	(2)  how many  (a) boys and  (b) mixed sex Muslim boarding schools there are in England; and how many pupils each has.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Family Courts: Guardians

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 945W, on family courts: guardians, how many cases the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has allocated to self-employed guardians in each area in each of the last six months.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Former Ministers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been paid by his Department and its predecessors to former Ministers as compensation for loss of office in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: Severance pay is payable, to former Ministers from this Department, in accordance with section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991.

Free School Meals: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost was of free school meals in  (a) all schools and  (b) school sixth forms in the last year for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Further Education

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people have taken a 14 to 19 diploma course in each subject in each  (a) parliamentary constituency and  (b) local authority in each year since the introduction of those diplomas.

Iain Wright: The 14 to 19 Diploma was introduced in the academic year 2008/09. Data for 2008/09 were published via the DCSF website on 11 November 2009 at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STA/t000888/index.shtml
	These data will include participation by local authority but not by parliamentary constituency. I will therefore write to the hon. Member to provide the parliamentary constituency data.

GCE A-Level

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in  (a) maintained schools,  (b) independent schools and  (c) comprehensive schools achieved three or more A grades at A-Level in 2009.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

GCE A-Level: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils eligible for free school meals achieved three or more A grades at A-Level in 2009.

Diana Johnson: The information will be available after the publication of the Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2008/09 Statistical First Releases. The Key Stage 5 release is planned for February 2010.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils did not gain one or more GCSEs excluding equivalents at grade  (a) C,  (b) D,  (c) E and  (d) G or above in 2009;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of students got five or more A* grades at GCSE in  (a) independent and  (b) comprehensive schools in (i) 2003, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2007;
	(3)  how many pupils in  (a) comprehensive schools and  (b) all maintained schools did not obtain at least one GCSE at grade C or better, excluding equivalents, in 2009;
	(4)  how many pupils in comprehensive schools achieved seven or more GCSEs including English language, English literature, mathematics, history, physics, biology and chemistry in 2009.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in receipt of free school meals achieved seven GCSEs, including physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, English, English literature and history in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils eligible for free school meals were not entered for a history GCSE in 2009;
	(2)  how many pupils eligible for free school meals were not entered for an English literature GCSE in 2009;
	(3)  how many pupils eligible for free school meals were not entered for an English GCSE in 2009;
	(4)  how many pupils eligible for free school meals were not entered for a mathematics GCSE in 2009;
	(5)  how many pupils eligible for free school meals did not obtain at least one GCSE at grade C or better, excluding equivalents, in 2009.

Diana Johnson: The information will be available after the publication of the 'Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2008/09' Statistical First Releases. The Key Stage 4 release is planned for 15 December.

GCSE: Science

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of comprehensive schools did not enter any students for a physics, chemistry or biology GCSE in the last year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Gifted Children: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in North East Milton Keynes constituency have participated in gifted and talented programmes in each year since 2000.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Green Job Placements

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many green job placements his Department expects will have been created by  (a) 2010,  (b) 2011,  (c) 2012,  (d) 2013,  (e) 2014 and  (f) 2015.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) on 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 119W. The Department is currently drawing up plans to deliver green work placements. A full announcement on plans to implement the programme will be made in the coming months.

Guardianships: Self-Employed

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service has for self-employed guardians in the period to March 2010.

Dawn Primarolo: Since its creation in 2001, CAFCASS has made extensive use of the services of self-employed contractors (SECs) to undertake the role of Children's Guardian in section 31 (Children Act 1989) care proceedings. CAFCASS plans to continue to commission work from SECs to help meet demand for the services of Children's Guardians provided that competent SECs are available and for whose work budgetary provision is available.

Home Education: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding he has allocated to local authorities to support home educators following the recommendations of the Badman review of elective home education in England.

Diana Johnson: We intend to ensure that our funding arrangements for local authorities support the proposals arising from the recommendations of the Badman Review of Elective Home Education in England.
	Implementation of the recommendations relating to the registration and monitoring of home educated children will be subject to legislation and the results of our public consultation. We estimate, subject to discussion with the Local Government Association, that the overall additional costs for these elements will be £21.65 million in the first year (2011/12) with additional ongoing annual costs of £9.78 million. This funding would be made available to local authorities under the New Burdens arrangements.
	So far as local authority support for the education of home educated pupils is concerned, we plan to strengthen the school census guidance for the January 2010 return to ensure that all local authorities are aware that they can already include in the Alternative Provision Return for Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) home educated pupils whom they support financially and who have a statement, or have significant special educational needs that have not been formally recognised through a statement; and pupils whom they fund to attend college for post-14 qualifications including GCSEs and Diplomas. These pupils will then count as a unit for DSG purposes.
	We will make further changes to the schools census from January 2011 to allow local authorities to include in their Alternative Provision return home educated pupils accessing the additional services set out in the recommendations, including funding them to take their GCSEs if they opt to enter as private candidates rather than through attending college courses. We currently expect to count these pupils as 0.1 of a unit for DSG purposes but we will reflect further on this figure in the light of consultation and experience.
	The cost of these measures relating to DSG will depend on the numbers of home educated children and the services they may seek.

Hotels: Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on hotel bills in 2008-09.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Integrated Children's System

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will amend the Integrated Children's System to enable a pre-birth plan to be changed after birth.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the budget of the Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval is in 2009-10.

Iain Wright: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Marketing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department  (a) spent on advertising in 2006-07 and  (b) had so spent in 2009-10 on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Mental Health Schools Programme: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in the Milton Keynes area are operating the Target Mental Health Schools programme; and whether there are plans to extend the programme to other schools in the area.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Parents: Unemployment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been living in a household with neither parent in employment in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 2006.

Helen Goodman: I have been asked to reply.
	Due to a technical issue with the necessary dataset, it has not been possible to provide a response to my hon. Friend's question as speedily as I would have wished. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested as soon as possible.

Physical Education: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department and its predecessors have allocated for the encouragement of physical exercise in schools in  (a) Peterborough constituency and  (b) the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Primary Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children attended more than three primary schools in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Primary Education: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in  (a) Peterborough constituency and  (b) Cambridgeshire have participated in the Primary Capital Programme in 2009.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Primary Education: Class Sizes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils of primary school age in maintained schools are in classes of  (a) fewer than 20,  (b) between 20 and 24,  (c) between 25 and 28,  (d) 29 or 30,  (e) between 31 and 35,  (f) between 36 and 40 and  (g) more than 40 pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Primary Education: Free School Meals

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of primary school children received free school meals in North Yorkshire in 2008-09.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Primary Education: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on proposed primary school closures in West Lancashire.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupil Exclusions

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were permanently excluded for each reason for exclusion from maintained primary schools, excluding special schools in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupil referral units in each local authority area have closed in each year since 2004 having had  (a) no inspections and  (b) one inspection at which they were judged (i) unsatisfactory, (ii) satisfactory, (iii) good and (iv) outstanding.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 10 November 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	There were 43 pupil referral units which closed between 1 January 2005 and 3 April 2009, the latest date for which published inspection data are available, and which were not inspected by Ofsted. Table A shows the local authority of each of those 43 pupil referral units, and the year in which they closed.
	A further 32 pupil referral units closed between 1 January 2005 and 3 April 2009, having been inspected once by Ofsted.
	Two of these were inspected prior to January 2000, when an overall effectiveness judgement was not made. These were both located in West Berkshire Local Authority.
	A further eight of these were inspected under the school inspection frameworks used between January 2000 and August 2005, commonly known as Section 10. Under these frameworks, the school's overall effectiveness judgement was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. Table B summarises the local authority, year of closure and inspection outcome of those pupil referral units inspected under Section 10. All eight were either judged satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
	The remaining twenty-two pupil referral units which closed between 1 January 2005 and 3 April 2009 were inspected after September 2005 under the school inspection framework commonly known as Section 5. Under this framework, the overall effectiveness judgement was made using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate.
	Table C summarises the local authority, year of closure and inspection outcome of those inspected under Section 5.
	It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from 2000 to the present using these different systems, therefore Tables B and C cannot be directly compared.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of pupil referral units in each local authority which closed since 2004 and had never been inspected by Ofsted 
			   Number of pupil referral units which closed in  
			  Local authority  2005  2006  2007  2008 ( 1) 2009  Total 
			 Bolton 4 3 0 0 0 7 
			 Bristol, City of 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Coventry 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Enfield 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Havering 0 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Hillingdon 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Hounslow 2 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Lambeth 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Lancashire 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Leicester 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Leicestershire 2 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Lewisham 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Manchester 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Medway 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Northamptonshire 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Reading 5 0 0 0 0 5 
			 Rotherham 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Salford 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Somerset 0 2 1 0 0 3 
			 Southwark 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Thurrock 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Trafford 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Waltham Forest 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 West Berkshire 2 1 0 0 0 3 
			 Wokingham 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 22 14 2 3 2 43 
			 (1)2009 includes those pupil referral units which closed prior to 3 April 2009 only. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Number of pupil referral units in each local authority which closed since 2004 and were last inspected under Section 10 and the outcome of that inspection 
			  Local authority  Number of pupil referral units which closed in year and the overall effectiveness judgment 
			   2005  2006  2008 
			   Satisfactory  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory 
			 Barnsley 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Bolton 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Leeds 0 0 0 1 0 
			 North Tyneside 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Salford 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 2 1 2 1 2 
			  Note:  Satisfactory and unsatisfactory were the only overall effectiveness judgments received by the pupil referral units included in this analysis. In addition, none closed in 2007, having received their last inspection under Section 10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Number of pupil referral units in each local authority which closed since 2004 and were last inspected under Section 5 and the outcome of that inspection 
			  Local authority  Number of pupil referral units which closed in year and the overall effectiveness judgment 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009 
			   Good  Inadequate  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  Satisfactory 
			 Camden 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Islington 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Lambeth 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Lancashire 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicester 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lewisham 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Liverpool 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Milton Keynes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rotherham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Somerset 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Southwark 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wigan 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Total 1 4 1 1 2 4 2 3 3 1 
			  Note:  No pupil referral units included in this analysis closed in 2005.

Pupils: Absenteeism

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in each Bassetlaw secondary school had an unauthorised absence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupils: Abuse

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidelines his Department provides for teachers who suspect abuse or maltreatment of a pupil.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupils: Costs

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the cost to parents of having a child at state school.

Diana Johnson: In February 2009, we published the Cost of Schooling Survey 2007. This survey was commissioned to provide robust and up-to-date evidence on the costs to parents associated with sending their children to maintained schools.
	The survey found that the total amount spent by parents in 2007 was, on average, £683.79 for a child at primary school and £1,195.47 for a child at secondary school. These figures include the amount spent on school uniform, PE kit, school trips, class materials, stationery items, swimming lessons, school fund contributions, school lunches, travel, school photographs, charity contributions and other activities.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average per student funding was in comprehensive secondary schools of  (a) fewer than 100,  (b) 100 to 199,  (c) 200 to 299,  (d) 300 to 399,  (e) 400 to 499,  (f) 500 to 599,  (g) 600 to 700 and  (h) over 700 students in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost has been of relocation of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority from London to Coventry; how much was spent on  (a) consultants for advice in relation to the move and  (b) on physically moving; how many (i) retention payments, (ii) relocation payments and (iii) redundancy payments were provided to staff at each grade; how many staff received each type of payment; whether retention payments were single payments; what costs were met through relocation payments; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In the final report from his Independent Review of Public Sector Relocation in March 2004, Sir Michael Lyons recommended that 20,000 civil service jobs should move from London, to contribute to the reform of public services and to improve regional growth and national competitiveness. Following the Government's response in July 2004, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) undertook to relocate 400 posts to Coventry by March 2010, as part of the Department's response to the Lyons agenda. The organisation remains on course to achieve this goal. Interim Ofqual, which is currently part of QCA, is now fully based in Coventry.
	For the period 1 April 2007 to 30 June 2009, total expenditure on relocation was £24.5 million. Of this, some £3 million was spent on consultants to provide specialist advice and skills not held within the organisation. The costs incurred over the short term will be offset by longer term savings. In particular, the rent payable for the organisation's office space will reduce from £6 million per annum in London to £1.4 million per annum in Coventry, and QCDA is using the opportunity of the relocation to restructure.
	Staff cost savings of approximately £400,000 per annum have already been generated, and this is expected to grow as more staff are recruited in the West Midlands. QCDA's annual administrative costs will be a forecast 5 per cent. lower in real terms after the relocation is completed.
	Expenditure on moving, including retention, relocation and redundancy payments provided to staff, and numbers of staff in receipt of payments is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2008-09  2009-10 (up to 30 September 2009) 
			  Staff Grade  Retention( 1)  Relocation  Redundancy  Retention( 1)  Relocation  Redundanc y 
			 B - 4,585 6,516 17,499 109 26,461 
			 C 27,209 6,946 257,798 58,622 11,505 167,208 
			 D 50,991 91,232 318,961 90,382 71,801 200,292 
			 E 23,587 55,593 351,107 177,082 47,386 527,297 
			 F - - 160,647 82,158 11,641 120,982 
			 Total 101,787 158356 1,095,208 425,743 142,442 1,042,240 
			
			 Number of staff 30 28 29 93 39 38 
			 (1) Retention payments are all single payments  Source:  Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (September 2009) 
		
	
	Costs met through relocation cover reimbursement of staff claims for physical moves to the Midlands, including for example stamp duty on the purchase of a new house or additional commuting costs to Coventry.

School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what targets he has set for the uptake of school meals in primary and secondary schools; what progress has been made in reaching such targets; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: School lunch take-up is one of the indicators of the Child Health PSA and is one of the indicators in the National Indicator Set. Increasing school lunch take-up is also the key priority for the School Food Trust (SFT), as set out by the Secretary of State in his remit letter for the 2009-10 financial year. The remit letter is published on the School Food Trust website
	www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk.
	The Department originally set a very stretching target to increase school lunch take up by 10 percentage points (pp) by autumn 2009 with an interim target of 4 pp by March 2008. In the light of the 2008 survey results, the Secretary of State has set the School Food Trust, in the 2009-10 remit letter, a trajectory consistent with achieving an increase in take up in primary schools of 1.7 pp between April 2009 and March 2010, and 2 pp between April 2010 and March 2011; and in secondary schools, 1.0 pp between April 2009 and March 2010, and 2.0 pp between April 2010 and March 2011.
	The 2007-08 annual survey of school lunch take-up showed an increase in primary schools of 1.7 pp from 41.3 per cent. in 2006-07 to 43 per cent. in 2007-08. These figures illustrate that the number of primary school children eating school meals rose by 62,712 from 2006-07 to 2007-08. In secondary schools the previous decline levelled out to 0.1 pp. The results of the SFT's 2008-09 annual survey of school lunch take up were announced at the Local Authority Caterers' Association annual conference on 9 July 2009. These figures showed that, in the subsets of local authorities for which comparisons could be made, take-up in primary schools rose by 0.1 per cent., and in secondary schools rose by 0.5 per cent.

Schools

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were being educated in schools of more than  (a) 400,  (b) 500,  (c) 600 and  (d) 700 pupils in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Counselling

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward proposals for a national programme for schools counselling in England.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 9 November 2009
	Many schools will already have school counselling services which they find valuable, and as I set out in my answer of 2 November 2009, access to counselling services has been provided locally through a number of DCSF initiatives developed in recent years, including through the Targeted Mental Health in Schools programme and local Behaviour and Education Support Teams.
	In addition, we have introduced a range of other national programmes which also help children and young people develop social and emotional skills, improve self-esteem and self-control and build resilience, take-up of which is widespread. Of these, the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme is currently running in 89.5 per cent. of primary schools and 64 per cent. of secondary schools, as at 28 October 2009, 99.2 per cent. of schools were participating in the Healthy Schools Programme, with 81.3 per cent. having achieved Healthy Schools Status and subject to the passage of the Children, Schools and Families Bill, Personal, Social, Health and Economic education will be a statutory part of the curriculum from September 2011.
	In addition, the Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future White Paper has said that through the new Personal Tutor role, every young person in secondary school will get the help they need to progress in learning and wider support in making choices through difficult times.
	We have no plans for a national programme for counselling in schools in England. Ultimately, it is for a school's governors to make decisions about the use of its delegated budget to meet the school's priorities, which may include purchasing services of this kind.

Schools: Inspections

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons special schools classified as outstanding by Ofsted are subject to inspection every three years; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 10 November 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Ofsted began inspecting under its new framework for maintained schools in September 2009. Under this framework, Ofsted is now varying the frequency of the inspection of mainstream schools that do not cause concern or require significant improvement. Schools judged to be good or outstanding at their last inspection will be inspected once within a five year period, provided that an annual risk assessment does not indicate that there has been a drop in their performance, or identify other factors that suggest an inspection would be appropriate.
	The annual risk assessment and inspection selection process is based on nationally standardised, validated data for attainment and progress, which are not available for special schools. This means that Ofsted cannot apply these procedures for special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) in the same way as for mainstream schools and, given the higher risk entailed, Ofsted will be continuing to inspect all special schools and PRUs in the third year after their previous inspection. This will help to ensure that Ofsted's inspection arrangements remain rigorous in holding to account the provision for some of the most potentially vulnerable young people,
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: Standards

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many national challenge schools there are in each local education authority; what proportion of all schools that figure represents; and for how long each such local education authority has participated in that scheme.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which schools inspected since September 2009 were rated as inadequate; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which schools inspected in 2009 had their procedures for safeguarding rated as inadequate; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Uniforms

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assistance his Department provides to low-income families for the purchase of school uniforms.

Diana Johnson: Our guidance to schools is clear that governing bodies must give high priority to cost considerations when they set their school uniform policy, and to ensure that these costs are kept to a minimum by having a uniform that is widely available. It also states that the school uniform chosen should be affordable and not act as a barrier to parents when choosing a school.
	Local authorities have discretionary powers to provide school clothing grants or to help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship. Local authorities that choose to offer such grants set their own criteria for eligibility as they are best placed to determine the level of need in their area.

Secondary Education: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who is responsible for the implementation in Gloucestershire of the recommendations made in the report of the Badman review of secondary education.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Sixth Form Colleges

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether a college not established as a sixth form college under Schedule 8 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill is prevented from using the title of sixth form college; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Colleges choosing not to designate as a sixth form college under Schedule 8 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill would not be required to change the title of the college.
	Colleges including those colleges that are currently self-designated as sixth form colleges that decide not to become sixth form college corporations, will become FE (Further Education) college corporations.
	There is currently no legal distinction between the different types of colleges. However the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill will give Sixth Form Colleges, for the first time, the opportunity to have a new distinct legal status. Colleges designating by order of the Secretary of State will become sixth form corporations in line with the provisions of Schedule 8 of the Bill.
	Changes to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 will allow for:
	the initial designation of existing bodies corporate as sixth form college corporations (section 33A of Schedule 8);
	subsequent designation of existing bodies corporate as sixth form college corporations (section 33B of Schedule 8);
	and the establishment of new bodies corporate as sixth form college corporations (section 33C of Schedule 8).

Social Services: Haringey

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken in response to the Ofsted July Joint Area Review of Haringey Council's Children's Services; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Social Services: Haringey

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what conditions have been imposed by his Department on spending of the funding provided in 2009-10 to the London Borough of Haringey for its children's services; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Additional funding provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2009-10 to the London borough of Haringey is conditional on the funding being used to support the delivery of the joint area review action plan including the costs associated with securing the additional leadership capacity required to deliver the plan.
	www.haringey.gov.uk/safeguardingactionplansubmitted.htm

Special Educational Needs

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on involving  (a) parents,  (b) children and  (c) disability groups in design criteria for schools which will admit children with disabilities and special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Special Educational Needs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools for children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties there are in  (a) England,  (b) Essex and  (c) Castle Point.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Special Educational Needs: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission an inspection of the school for children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties located on Canvey Island; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The school on Canvey Island is a newly registered independent school. The independent school registration arrangements require Ofsted to conduct a full monitoring inspection within the first 12 months of an independent school admitting pupils. Therefore the Department will ask Ofsted to inspect the school for pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties on Canvey Island at some point between now and 20 August 2010, the anniversary of the date at which it opened.
	DCSF may also commission emergency monitoring visits at any registered independent school. Where circumstances warrant an unannounced visit no notice is given to schools, neither are the visits publicised in any way beforehand.

Special Educational Needs: Young Offenders

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of young offenders who have special educational needs; and what provision is available to such young offenders.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many people are enrolled on a diploma course in each subject;
	(2)  what proportion of pupils enrolled on a diploma course were eligible for free school meals in the latest period for which information is available.

Iain Wright: The 14 to 19 Diploma was introduced in the academic year 2008/09. Data for 2008/09 Diploma participation were published via the DCSF website on 11 November 2009 at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STA/t000888/index.shtml
	These data will include participation by eligibility for free school meals.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools are not part of a consortium which offers diploma courses; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The latest information provided by consortia shows that only 349 secondary schools (just over 12 per cent. of the total number in England), are not members of consortia approved to deliver Diplomas from September 2009.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many independent schools are part of a consortium to offer diploma courses; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The latest information provided by consortia is that six independent schools are members of consortia approved to offer diplomas from September 2009.

Specialised Diplomas

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people are enrolled on a diploma course in each subject in  (a) Barnsley and  (b) South Yorkshire.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Specialist Schools: Lincolnshire

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what specialist schools have been established in north east Lincolnshire since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Sure Start Programme

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on the in Chorley constituency since the introduction of the programme;
	(2)  what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of the Sure Start programme; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Sure Start Programme: Children's Centres

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) Sure Start centres and  (b) children's centres have been opened in north east Lincolnshire since 1997; and what funding his Department has provided for such centres to date.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Sure Start Programme: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to extend the Sure Start programme in  (a) Chorley constituency and  (b) Lancashire.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) chemistry,  (b) biology and  (c) physics initial teacher training entrants were recruited by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in (i) 2004, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2008.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Teachers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) teachers and  (b) classroom assistants were employed in maintained schools in North East Lincolnshire (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Teachers: Ex-Servicemen

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many ex-servicemen have entered the teaching profession as a result of his Department's Transition to Teaching programme;
	(2)  how many ex-servicemen have entered the teaching profession in each year for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many ex-servicemen have entered the teaching profession through his Department's Career Transition Partnership in each year since its inception.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Teachers: Males

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many mainstream maintained  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools have no male teachers.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Teachers: North West

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) teachers and  (b) classroom assistants were employed in maintained schools in each local education authority area in the North West in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps are taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) local education authorities to ensure the suitability of teacher training courses provided by independent faith schools.

Diana Johnson: The suitability of training for teachers in all independent schools is a matter for the schools themselves. The quality of teaching in independent schools is inspected against standards set out in regulations, including the need for teachers to demonstrate appropriate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught.
	While there is no Government funding available for initial teacher training for teachers in independent schools, some independent schools do take part in initial teacher training programmes like the Graduate Teacher programme to help train their teachers. The responsibility for ensuring the suitability of initial teacher training courses that involve teaching at an independent school lies with the accredited initial teacher training provider with which the trainee is registered. In addition, independent schools can access the same continuing professional development opportunities available to schools in the maintained sector.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many initial teacher training providers for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school teachers were graded at C or below in their last two inspections for Training and Development Agency for schools performance profiles.

Vernon Coaker: Ofsted grades initial teacher training (ITT) providers on the following scale: Grade 1-outstanding; grade 2-good; grade 3-satisfactory; grade 4-inadequate. Providers inspected up to July 2008 were graded under three areas: Management and quality assurance, training and standards. The grades for these areas are in turn translated into Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) quality categories A, B or C using agreed calculations on the permutations of grades. A grade 3 in any area automatically results in quality category C designation.
	The number of ITT providers awarded a TDA quality category of C or below based on their last two inspections was zero for primary school teachers and seven for secondary school teachers.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many initial teacher training providers had been graded at C or below at their most recent inspection prior to  (a) 1997,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2009.

Vernon Coaker: Ofsted grades initial teacher training (ITT) providers on the following scale: Grade 1-outstanding; grade 2-good; grade 3-satisfactory; grade 4-inadequate. Providers inspected up to July 2008 were graded under three areas: Management and quality assurance, training and standards. The grades for these areas are in turn translated into Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) quality categories A, B or C using agreed calculations on the permutations of grades. A grade 3 in any area automatically results in quality category C designation.
	The requested information is available from 2005/06 and is provided in the table. primary and secondary provision is separately graded. A provider offering both types of provision may be counted more than once in this table.
	
		
			  ITT providers awarded quality grade C. Years: 2005/06 to 2007/08. Coverage: England 
			   Providers awarded quality grade C  
			   Mainstream providers   
			   Primary  Secondary  Employment based providers( 1)  Total number of providers 
			 2005/06 17 22 106 239 
			 2006/07 9 21 110 246 
			 2007/08 4 18 100 236 
			 (1) Full inspection of employment based routes began in 2008/09. Until inspection evidence is available they have been allocated a nominal uninspected C grade. 
		
	
	Ofsted inspection grades for 2008/09 have not yet been translated into TDA quality categories. In 2008/09, Ofsted awarded 11 providers a grade 3. There are 190 providers pending inspection.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many agreements with initial teacher training providers  (a) the Training and Development Agency for Schools and its predecessors and  (b) his Department and its predecessors have discontinued on quality grounds since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Young People: Connexions Service

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of 13 to 19-year-olds who were  (a) not in employment, education or training and  (b) in employment, education or training received guidance from a Connexions adviser in each local authority in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The information is not available in the form requested prior to April 2006. For the period 2006-09 the table records the average number of 16 to 18-year-olds in or not in employment, education or training receiving an intervention by a Connexions adviser, by local authority from April 2006. This table has been placed in the House Libraries. Interventions include face-to-face contact, telephone contact, e-mail and text messages, but several interventions may take place with the same young person.

Young People: Employment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of 16 year-olds are  (a) employed and  (b) non-employed apprentices on (i) Level 2 frameworks and (ii) Level 3 frameworks.

Dawn Primarolo: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Young People: Employment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of 17 year olds are  (a) employed and  (b) non-employed apprentices on (i) Level 2 frameworks and (ii) Level 3 frameworks.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

Youth Services: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the expenditure per head of the 14 to 19 year old population was on youth services in each London borough in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government do not set a budget for spending on youth services. Local authorities decide what the expenditure should be, taking into account Government policy and local needs. The following table shows, for each London borough, the net expenditure and the net revenue expenditure on youth services and the revenue expenditure per head of the 14 to 19-year-old population in 2007-08. Data are not available prior to 1999-2000.
	
		
			  The Education (Outturn Statements) (England) Regulations 
			  LEA net revenue expenditure on youth services( 1)  per head of population (aged 14 to 19)( 2)  in 2007-08, cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 27 October 2009 
			  LA Number  LA Name  Net expenditure on Youth Service( 3)  LEA net revenue expenditure on Youth Service( 1, 4)  Per pupil using weighted average( 2) 
			 201 City of London 488,894 340,637 1,360 
			 202 Camden 4,070,242 2,906,615 220 
			 203 Greenwich 4,201,883 3,054,190 188 
			 204 Hackney 3,658,070 2,620,219 177 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,360,209 1,360,209 153 
			 206 Islington 3,317,180 3,317,180 296 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 3,844,958 2,387,224 272 
			 208 Lambeth 2,209,566 2,209,566 144 
			 209 Lewisham 7,537,676 4,007,911 227 
			 210 Southwark 5,568,826 3,900,032 236 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 10,186,964 4,324,182 295 
			 212 Wandsworth 3,165,923 2,257,793 183 
			 213 Westminster 4,303,169 2,322,863 196 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 1,736,454 1,736,454 128 
			 302 Barnet 2,584,704 1,556,122 67 
			 303 Bexley 1,806,000 1,806,000 98 
			 304 Brent 5,874,055 3,292,645 179 
			 305 Bromley 1,600,121 1,433,409 65 
			 306 Croydon 5,477,722 3,896,705 145 
			 307 Ealing 2,294,791 1,625,881 80 
			 308 Enfield 3,081,864 1,891,228 87 
			 309 Haringey 2,263,627 1,584,867 107 
			 310 Harrow 3,781,485 1,139,973 64 
			 311 Havering 3,679,607 1,824,527 99 
			 312 Hillingdon 5,463,930 1,793,451 88 
			 313 Hounslow 4,316,236 1,336,824 87 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 1,387,720 1,259,782 113 
			 315 Merton 1,137,317 1,099,760 88 
			 316 Newham 3,201,136 2,801,501 135 
			 317 Redbridge 3,919,597 2,114,779 104 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 1,848,695 1,433,872 131 
			 319 Sutton 1,573,602 1,257,483 89 
			 320 Waltham Forest 2,258,122 2,258,122 139 
			 (1) Youth service expenditure includes the following items: employees; staff training; premises-related expenditure; transport related expenditure; supplies and services; third-party payments; support services; youth work costs at residential and non- residential youth centres; youth work costs at activity at outdoor and urban studies centres; grant funding to the voluntary sector for youth work. (2 )Population of 14 to 19-year-olds is based on ONS mid-year estimates for each local authority. A weighting of 3/4 to 1/4 has been given to the 2007 and 2008 figures in order to give an estimate for the financial year (3 )Net current expenditure includes all Government grants allocated to youth service. (4 )LA net revenue expenditure excludes all Government grants allocated to youth service.